Telkomsel bundles Perplexity AI search engine into data packages

Details: John Tanner; Category: Enterprise Ecosystems; 02 June 2025; 3859 views

Indonesian mobile operator Telkomsel says it is collaborating with US-based AI company Perplexity to bundle its AI-based search engine into data connectivity packages for B2B and B2C customers.

Founded in 2022, Perplexity offers a search engine that uses a large language model (LLM) to process queries and synthesize responses based on web search results. Perplexity says the search engine answers more than 150 million questions every week globally.

According to statement dated last Wednesday, Telkomsel said the premium Perplexity service will not only provide real-time AI-based search, but also more than 300 Pro searches per day, access to AI models suich as GPT-4 Omni, Claude 3.5 Sonnet & Haiku, Sonar Large, Grok-2, Gemini 2.0 Flash, OpenAI o3-mini and DeepSeek R1.

The service also includes unlimited file uploads (including PDF, CSV and images), image creation via DALL-E 3 and Flux, and Custom Spaces for organization and content collaboration.

Telkomsel will offer Perplexity Pro premium services as part of tailored data packages that it says will make AI more accessible for students, researchers, MSMEs, institutions and beyond.

The enterprise Perplexity Pro package is pitched as a way to boost productivity and streamline operations, while the consumer version promises to “enrich digital lifestyles through accessible AI-powered learning and creativity.”

Telkomsel is also positioning the Perplexity deal as evidence of its commitment to accelerating AI adoption across Indonesia.

“By combining the advantages of our national network and Perplexity's advanced AI technology, we ensure seamless access to accurate and personalized information, anytime and anywhere, so that customers can interact with information more intelligently and always take a step ahead in the digital era,” said Wong Soon Nam, Telkomsel’s director of planning and transformation.