INTERVIEW-Indonesia's Telkom aims for 10-15 pct growth in 2010

SINGAPORE, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Telekomunikasi Indonesia

(Telkom) (TLKM.JK), the country's biggest telecom company, is aiming for a 10 to 15 percent growth in revenue and net profit in 2010, more than the targeted 5-10 percent growth this year. Tanri Abeng, Telkom's chairman, told Reuters in an interview that consolidation in the country's mobile phone operators is imminent and could happen as early as the first quarter of 2010.

"Growth (in 2010) would be better than this year as there are more drivers for growth. I want to see us growing at double-digit levels again. The bottom line should follow, intertwine," Abeng said.

"I think if we can grow 10-15 percent, that would be good, I don't think it will go beyond that," he added.

Telkom, the biggest company by market value on the Indonesia bourse, posted a 24 percent rise in its third quarter net profit, boosted by revenue growth from its mobile and data services. [nJAK440297]

The company controls 65 percent of PT Telekomunikasi Selular, the country's largest mobile phone operator, which contributes around half of its revenue.

However tough competition among mobile phone operators throughout this year have been pushing average revenue per users down, but Abeng said it has reached its bottom and can only go up.

(Reporting by Harry Suhartono, Editing by Saeed Azhar)

((harry.suhartono@thomsonreuters.com; +65 6403 5658; Reuters Messaging: harry.suhartono.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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