Telkomsel Hacked, Customers Vent Frustration Over Internet Price
Jakarta. An anonymous hacker, or hackers, defaced the website of Telekomunikasi Selular, Indonesia's largest mobile operator, on Friday (28/04), giving vent to widespread frustration over the company using its dominant position to hike internet connection prices.
Telkomsel, as the company is popularly known, has over 170 million customers, twice more than its closest rivals Indosat and XL Axiata together.
"How can Indonesia advance if internet is expensive," wrote the hacker on the defaced website.
Telkomsel customers typically need to pay between Rp 85,000 ($6.4) and Rp 100,000 a month for 2 gigabytes of data. With the same money, they can have even 10 times more from XL.
However, unlike in many other countries, Indonesian customers cannot change operators without acquiring a new mobile phone number. Many are, therefore, stuck with the operator as they have been using their numbers for decades.
Indonesian netizens went to Twitter to salute the hacker.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The guy who hacked Telkomsel this morning really made my day!! You are the man broh :) <a href="https://t.co/1pvfOckkkv">pic.twitter.com/1pvfOckkkv</a></p>— Finan Hazza (@finanhazza) <a href="https://twitter.com/finanhazza/status/857801230709538816">April 28, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Others expressed their frustration over Tekomsel forcing them to use movie or music streaming services that come with its internet packages.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We need flexible data plan that we can use for whatever we want. No need HOOQ, VIU and shits. End this nonsense <a href="https://twitter.com/Telkomsel">@Telkomsel</a></p>— Rakhmat Hanifudin (@hnfdn) <a href="https://twitter.com/hnfdn/status/857795927842500608">April 28, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Telkomsel said the hacking did not affect its mobile network. The company also have managed to restore its website.
"We apologize for the inconvenience in accessing Telkomsel's official website" Telkomsel vice president Adita Irawati said in a statement.
Telkomsel customers who need information about its services can use MyTelkomsel mobile application, phone its call center or come to GraPARI — the company' customer care outlets.
Tags: Keywords: