JAKARTA — Indonesian mobile carriers have shifted focus to artificial intelligence and other ways to add value, as a merger promises to end the fierce price competition that left companies with razor thin profit margins at best.
XL Axiata and Smartfren Telecom, Indonesia’s No. 3 and No. 4 players, respectively, aim to complete a merger in the next six months. The resulting entity, XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera, will serve 94.5 million subscribers and hold a 27% domestic market share.
