Telkomsel Launches CWEETA, a USSD-based Messaging Solution

Telkomsel, Indonesia's largest mobile carrier has launched a local messaging service called CWEETA. Unlike other data-based messaging apps, CWEETA requires no Internet connection nor does it use an app. The service uses USSD technology which is commonly used by carriers, to allow Telkomsel customers to exchange messages with each other.

The term USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) may sound unfamiliar to most customers but they are certainly familiar with strings such as *888# and others like it, which are commonly used to check and top up phone credits. Telkomsel has decided to tweak this technology to enable a messaging service to run on this layer which includes one to one as well as group messaging.

Registered Telkomsel customers can use 603# to communicate using CWEETA. How it works is customers dial 603*phone_number# to send a message to the intended recipient. The technology allows only 100 characters to be sent through this service.

CHIP quoted Telkomsel Head of Digital Lifestyle Group Marina Kacaribu who said, "Telkomsel's CWEETA service uses USSD technology so CWEETA users won't need an Internet connection to take advantage of it. As long as customers are connected to the Telkomsel GSM network, CWEETA is accessible anywhere, anytime, through KartuHalo, SimPATI, as well as KartuAs, which makes it easy for CWEETA users to interact with each other".

Because it's a service provided on the carrier's server, there are no customer side requirements. They can use any old mobile phone within Telkomsel's network coverage.

Telkomsel charges Rp 2000 for seven days use or Rp 5000 for 30 days. The FAQ on Telkomsel's website provides a wealth of information on CWEETA including how to subscribe to the service, how to start and carry on a conversation on CWEETA, and how to create and invite people to group chats, as well as how to view chat history. Users can broadcast their status which will be delivered to all followers.

The advantage of this technology is clearly the lack of need for a data package nor the availability of data coverage through the phone. This eliminates the limitations imposed by mobile phone requirements as well as connectivity issues. On the other hand, users of the service will have to perform finger acrobatics to enter the combination of numbers to send each message and must memorize the number of the person or people they wish to communicate with, in an age when it's easier for people to memorize a six digit BlackBerry PIN or a username. Additionally, the interface used by this service is of course very rudimentary compared to the existing chat apps. Also, CWEETA does not work across operators.

This service is aimed at the youth market (between ages 13-18) who live in areas in which data coverage has yet to be deployed and the people have yet to embrace smartphones. The market size is clearly very large but CWEETA will still have to compete with SMS which remains a core offering by mobile network operators. CWEETA's solution may be a bizarre one but it can become something interesting if it finds the right market audience.

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