Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison announced on Wednesday it has signed a strategic MoU with Chinese phone maker Transsion Holdings to make affordable smart devices available to Indonesians, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Under the MoU, which was announced at the Mobile World Congress event in Shanghai, Indosat will extend its service reach through over 10,000 Transsion retail outlets across the country that will function as distribution hubs for Indosat’s IM3 and Tri SIM cards, as well as access points for a broader range of digital services.
As part of the deal, Transsion devices will come pre-installed with Indosat’s myIM3 and bima+ apps, allowing users to manage data plans, access content and stay connected out of the box.
Indosat and Transsion will also launch 0% installment plans for Transsion devices that will lower the barrier to smartphone ownership and digital connectivity for millions of Indonesians. The bundled offering also includes eSIM options, making it easier than ever for users to activate and switch between services.
Indosat and Transsion also plan to explore further collaborations that could potentially include co-branded device offerings, expanded app integrations and localized digital services tailored to regional user needs.
“By leveraging Transsion’s distribution reach and Indosat’s network reliability, we are creating opportunities for more communities to participate in the digital economy,” said Indosat chief marketing officer Vivek Mehendiratta.
According to data from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), internet penetration in Indonesia reached 79.5% in 2024. However, rural internet penetration for the same year reached only 30.5%.
