By Ron Chen, Bureau Chief, Asia & Oystein Bergmann, Bureau Chief, Scandinavia

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Ericsson have announced the successful completion of a pivotal milestone of the CS Core Transformation project. This project which began in November 2022 and was completed ahead of schedule in September 2023, is a consolidation of two separate CS networks transformed into one single unified network with state-of-the-art architecture. It is part of Indosat’s merger programme and has resulted in lowering operational expenditures (OPEX) through a footprint reduction of 53 per cent and an increased customer satisfaction index of 1.1 per cent.

By transforming the CS Core into a single Ericsson platform by pooling capability, Indosat can reduce the risk of network disruptions or downtime in the catastrophic events of fibre or power cuts. As a result, Indosat customers can enjoy uninterrupted voice and SMS services nationwide moving forward. The successful project delivery directly translates into improving customer interactions by 33 per cent and a reduction in call setup times by 495 milliseconds. In addition, this network simplification naturally reduces the number of hardware, software, and infrastructure requirements thereby reducing the OPEX.

Director and Chief Technology Officer of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Desmond Cheung, said: “In line with our mission to deliver world-class digital experiences, connecting and empowering every Indonesian, we are committed to continue providing a reliable network that enhances customers’ experience. Partnering with Ericsson enables us to seize the maximum potential of our network and ecosystem to better serve our customers. This project’s success is a testament to our combined commitment.”

Head of Ericsson Indonesia, Krishna Patil states, “Ericsson is pleased to have supported Indosat in completing the CS Core Transformation project ahead of time. Already the project is delivering strong efficiency and customer experience gains for Indosat and their end-users and we look forward to continuing to collaborate to significantly increase customer satisfaction.”

Earlier in January this year, Ericsson supported Indosat to complete its network integration by leveraging Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) technology in JABODETABEK, enabling customers in the area to enjoy a better digital experience. This was one of the fastest network integration projects that was completed ahead of schedule and provided wider coverage, better indoor service quality, and faster internet experience for customers.