| Indonesia is almost like a vast continent of Islands | | | | People began switching phones as technology |
| spanning a greater distance than Europe. A nation of | | | | advanced, and hundreds of manufacturers from Nokia |
| Islands, languages, cultures and religions that is one of | | | | to Huawei entered the market. |
| South-East Asia's true melting points. And this nation of | | | | Many made deals with local telephone providers. |
| over 227 Million people have a culture of | | | | Huawei linked with one mobile phone provider to |
| communicating with each other by speaking, rather | | | | create a service linked to making cheap landline calls, |
| than by emailing. | | | | across this vast nation of Islands. A cheap phone, plus |
| Aside from the symbols of daily life in Indonesia - the | | | | an inexpensive phone provider meant a booming |
| street food stall. There is a new symbol in 21st century | | | | business for both companies. |
| Indonesia, the mobile phone store, and phone credit stall | | | | Others have turned more sophisticated offering cheap |
| - Selling anything from cheap mobile phones to | | | | internet services, linked with more heavyweight phone |
| pre-paid credit to mobile phone users. | | | | manufacturers like Nokia, and the "creme de la |
| Then there are the "pimp your phone" stalls, found | | | | creme"of phone producers - Blackberry. |
| everywhere in street markets to sophisticated stalls in | | | | Internet-based websites like Facebook.com, and work |
| air-conditioned Malls. Phone users can buy anything | | | | with some providers to offer instant access to the |
| from mp3's to customized casing for their phone. | | | | websites, and services. Others provide inexpensive |
| Indonesians express themselves through their phones, | | | | overseas mobile phone services- aimed at loved ones |
| and this expression has create employment and | | | | either studying or living overseas. |
| business, for over a million people. | | | | Mobile Phones have become an essential part of |
| From the simple Cigarette stand owner, who has | | | | Indonesian life, and the business has created much |
| diversified into selling pre-paid phone credits, and | | | | needed employment in a young country, with no real |
| numbers, to the mobile phone retailers, who seem to | | | | social assistance programs. Even a street vendor, can |
| take up sometimes whole floors in a Mall. | | | | hawk mobile phone numbers, casing, and even trinkets |
| Why are Mobile Phones so important to Indonesians? | | | | to personalize a phone. |
| When the Indonesian Government de-regulated the | | | | In 21st Century Indonesia, a mobile phone user can |
| telecommunications market in Indonesia- What was | | | | often call for free, anywhere in the country , or even |
| once a luxury, became accessible for people, needing | | | | get hundreds of free sms's. Whilst the phone itself has |
| to communicate cheaply with their families, and friends, | | | | become a status symbol, were with such an array of |
| who often live all over Indonesia. | | | | competition, the vast majority of Indonesians, now own |
| De-regulation also created over twelve new mobile | | | | and use a mobile phone. |
| phone providers. Providers that competed in a free | | | | De-regulation and true free enterprise can work as |
| market, where the cost of calls and sms's continued to | | | | long as the service offered is truly beneficial to people. |
| decrease- simply because of the intense competition. | | | | Many people may laugh at the often faddish nature of |
| Phones became more sophisticated, and trendy. They | | | | Indonesian mobile phone usage, but it has created a |
| were affordable to most Indonesians, and in a country | | | | bridge for loved ones to communicate, new business, |
| were lobbying is important- essential to business. | | | | and above all employment. |