Minister Rudiantara: Palapa Ring Central Package to be Finished by September 2018

Minister of Communications and Informatics Rudiantara explains the development of Palapa Ring Central Package, in Manado, North Sulawesi, Friday (25/5). (Photo: PR Division of Ministry of Communications and Informatics)

Despite the delay, Minister of Communications and Informatics Rudiantara is optimistic that the construction of Palapa Ring Central Package— national fiber optic network construction project in Central area of Indonesia— will be completed by September this year.

“There has been a delay in the construction of Palapa Ring Central Package. I come here to ensure that the project can be completed by the end of 2018. Our plan is to complete it in August and to run stability test until September,” Minister Rudiantara said on the Nusantara Ekspress Ship during a working visit to Minahasa, North Sulawesi, to witness the cable deployment in Tateli Waters, Pineleng, Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Friday 25/5).

Minister Rudiantara requested the assistance of the Governor of North Sulawesi to ensure the completion of licensing process in order to speed up the installation of submarine cables.

“After the completion (of the project) in September, I will hand it over to the Governor. Please accelerate the permit,” said Minister Rudiantara to the Governor of North Sulawesi, Olly Dondokambey, who also attended the event.

Palapa Ring development, said Minister Rudiantara, is one of the efforts of the administration of President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla in realizing the 3^rd Nawacita—9 priorities in national development agenda. “Building Indonesia from the periphery by strengthening the regions and villages within the framework of a unitary state,” he explained.

The construction is conducted through the Palapa Ring project, a fiber optic construction that extends throughout Indonesia built by telecommunication operators as well as the Government.

As the backbone infrastructure of broadband telecommunication network, Palapa Ring consists of three packages: Palapa Ring Western Package, Palapa Ring Central Package and Palapa Ring Eastern Package.

The Palapa Ring Central Package project, according to Minister Rudiantara, will connect 17 cities / districts located in East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces with a cable length of 2,700 km.

“If all packages of Palapa Ring are complete, all districts in Indonesia will be connected by fiber optic network. Thus, there will be no large gap of network services between Java and other regions,” said Rudiantara.

Broadband Access for Public

Governor of North Sulawesi Olly Dondokambey expressed optimism that the Palapa Ring Central Package Project will bring benefits for the people of North Sulawesi. They will enjoy better internet network quality with broadband access.

“In the future, there will be no disconnected internet network. People can use internet optimally,” said Olly.

The Governor also said the optimal quality of the internet network is supported by submarine cable installation. “Optical cable of Palapa Ring Central Package in North Sulawesi is installed from Mokupa, Siau to Melonguane and other areas,” he said. (PR Division of Ministry of Communications and Informatics/ES) (STU/MMB/Naster)