On 5 January, Indonesian mobile operator Natrindo Telepon Selular (NTS) awarded Ericsson a contract to build, operate and manage its new 3G/WCDMA network in Jakarta and surrounding areas. Under the two-year agreement, the company will supply both 2G and 3G/WCDMA radio network equipment and undertake the turnkey implementation of NTS's upgraded network. Implementation will begin immediately. Kusnadi Sukarja, president of NTS, stated that Ericsson was chosen primarily because of its technical and commercial merits, supported by its world-leading expertise in the rapidly changing mobile telecommunications industry.
On behalf of Ericsson, Mats Bosrup, president of Ericsson Indonesia, said, "We have been present in this country for nearly 100 years and we are proud to be part of the introduction of 3G in Indonesia. This will enable new advanced services in Indonesia."