In the internet era, as now, the community can not be separated from popular applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, WhatsApp, and flock. Access to services is generally done via smartphone by purchasing a mobile data plan.
If only judging from the picture, should the growth of Internet service often called over-the-top (OTT) is directly proportional to the growth of the telecommunications industry.
Instagram community more incentive to play and chat via WhatsApp, the greater the operator revenue from activation of customer data.
But in fact the relationship between the scheme operator OTT and not as simple as that. In fact, if not careful, said OTT growth could be a boomerang for the operator.
"The relationship between operators and OTT should be studied more deeply. There needs to be a synergy, but the regulation must be fair. Otherwise, in the long OTT (such as Google and Facebook) can buy the operator," said CEO of the research institute of telecommunication Sharing Vision, Dimitri Mahayana, in an event at the Hotel Century Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (12/01/2016).
OTT replace basic telecommunication services
Because, OTT, such as chat services Line, WeChat, Skype and WhatsApp, has shifted the role of innate operator services, namely SMS and telephone.
According to the research firm telecommunications Sharing Vision, income country three operators of SMS and phone showed a downward trend since 2013 ago.
In 2013, the average operator gets 37 percent of revenue from the phone, and then declined to 36 percent in 2014 and the last 35 per cent in 2015. At the same time, revenues from SMS also declined from 17 percent in 2013 and 2014 to 16 percent in 2015.
Indeed, revenues from data, increased from 14 percent in 2013 and 18 percent in 2014 to 22 percent in 2015. However, keep in mind that the capital investment or capex to build data infrastructure is not cheap.
Operator revenues from OTT usage data is false
Data Sharing Vision also show that total revenue growth on average tend to be linear operator since 2008. The percentage increase is only 1.65 percent year-on-year (YoY), it also supported the revenue data from OTT.
"Users of mobile operator services already exceeds the population of Indonesia, so it is already saturated and difficult to grow again. The business is also difficult to develop because there is a price war," said Dimitri.
In contrast, the average income of OTT is not as big as the telecom operators, but its growth is exponential. The percentage of increase reached 24.4 percent year on year since 2008.
"OTT is not maximized dredge the market so that its growth from year to year can be skyrocketed. Moreover, like Google whose services are many and used by people. As Maps, it's a long time can be used companies for the monitoring system. YouTube is also used by companies to advertise," Dimitri explained.
According to Dimitri, operator revenue growth of data revenues only worth apparent. Therefore, the increase was not able to cope with the increase in capex is greater.
OTT which apparently contributed revenue for operators actually just using the operator as a "pipeline". Been unable to move anywhere to grow the business, unless participate rules OTT.
In a sense, when the data needs soared, operator meager income earned and have to spend more money to expand the capacity of "pipeline" of his.
There needs to be a synergy and fairness of regulation
The only way that can be done in synergy with the operator is OTT. Of course this must be mediated through government regulation.
"If the opponent is too strong, can not get more hostility, but to be embraced by the synergy strategy," Dimitri said.
The synergy that can be done in several ways. One of them by making the data bundle packages with fixed prices for access to OTT. This mechanism has done some operators, for example with Spotify Indosat and XL with Yonder.
There are also other ways, for example, operators are selling the data to advertisers via OTT, or OTT operators are required to ride the infrastructure. Of course, other forms of synergy that can be discussed between OTT operators, and government.
So far, the government regulation is arguably very much binding telecom operators. For example, related to the license fee, telecommunications BHP, BHP spectrum, VAT, Income Tax, USO, interconnection rates, customer service, licensing, and other bureaucracy that must be qualified.
Meanwhile, OTT players had no such binding rules. They do not pay a license fee, no withdrawals USO, and there was no provision of customer services that are free to develop its business.
"If an OTT time to actually acquire the operator, will be very dangerous because the communication is held one sector," said Dimitri.
