Mobile telecommunication business is one of the most active industry now in Indonesia. Competition is in the air, it's everywhere. Until last year, telco are still trying to lurk new user by voice call special offers only . Recently the tension even high for data & VAS. Telkomsel offers Rp.125K for unlimited data while provider charge as low as Rp 0.1/SMS.
But all these offer comes to nothing for existing customer, there no option to abandon a number just to chase all these temporary offers.
In some advance countries, there is Mobile Number Portability scheme, allow you to switch telco providers by preserve existing phone number (MSISDN). Are our infrastructure ready for this ?
Will people rush to a telco when it has best offer leaving other to zero? How VAS provider operations while can no longer detect telco from number's prefix ?
Of course, the implementation of MNP in Indonesia needs further market research how people react on this. Are we ready to take this for all the pro and cons ? One thing I'm sure, there will be no rush for people switching providers. Ok, maybe rush for first one or two months, but the market will found the balance, and the switching is just for people really have to.
Telco will trying to keep subscriber longer. Unlike now Rp.50K is just for 1 month validity, maybe the telco will extends it to 1 or 2 year to secure the subscriber not switching other provider. The competition can become more fair for all subscriber.
One thing is sure, it brings headache to people like me, to implement new flow to deliver VAS services.
Ever since telecommunication company found out the possibilities to put sound during waiting a call to be answered to replace the default "tut..tut..tut.." sound, now RBT (ringback-tone) has become a prime channel selling legal music that's the easiest way to control its copyright, and supposed no copyright violation here.
Invented by a Korean company in 2001, now most mobile telecommunication company has adopt this technology as part of VAS. The service so-called RBT has unique brand. Telkomsel, Indonesia largest mobile telecommunication company using the name "NSP 1212" (Nada Sambung Pribadi), then soon followed by i-Ring 808 by Indosat and Nada Tungguku 1818 by XL.
Even the service name may vary but the basic idea is almost the same. During calling to an RBT-subscriber, caller will hear a preset 30-seconds song (or sound) and will played until the call answered or reach maximum divert timeout. Currently, to increase revenue, the business model has become a 30-days auto-renewal subscription which proved very effective.
No wonder, now every new music product always include RBT subscribe code for its song list.
While almost every song can easily be found on internet, there almost nothing can be hack for RBT-song as user only has right purchace-to-hear, but not the song-ownership.
Addendum.
RBT now become the new kid on block for generating income for both telco and CP. As telco implement the auto renewal scheme and CP businesses attacked by unethical premium charging and widespread of free download sites, everybody turns to RBT. Maybe later on, the new kid on the block could become master of revenue. Who knows ?
