Indonesia began Monday the construction of a 1,041 kilometer fiber optic cable connecting Mataram and Kupang.
The commencement of the pro-ject is a milestone in the development of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure for the country’s eastern regions.
The construction of the Mataram-Kupang Cable System is fully-funded by state-run telecommunications firm PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), and is scheduled for completion by November 2010.
Telkom president director Rinaldi Firmansyah said during the inauguration of the project that the cable system would be part of 10,812 kilometer fiber optic cable that would connect Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua — major islands in eastern Indonesia.
He said it was also part of the larger Palapa Ring fiber optic project, aimed at connecting all the country’s 33 provinces and over 450 regencies and municipalities.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who officiated at the inauguration, said connecting the entire country was an important step to boost domestic economic growth.
Learning from the recent global economic crisis, he reiterated that Indonesia should strengthen its domestic economy instead of relying on exports to maintain growth.
“Therefore we need supports, including that of ICT. We hope that the construction of ICT infrastructure will cover all sectors and reach out to all regions.
“It’s not good that while our big cities are connected to the world outside, they are not connected to other islands in the East, such as Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, and Papua,” Yudhoyono said.
He added that in the next 10 years ICT development in Indonesia would be focused on supporting three main sectors: governance, education and businesses.
Yudhoyono, witnessed by several Cabinet ministers, officially inaugurated the Mataram-Kupang Cable System construction project at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
The commencement of the construction itself, however, took place in the West Nusa Tenggara capital of Mataram, and was witnessed by Rinaldi, Information and Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring, and West Nusa Tenggara governor Muhammad Zainul Madjdi.
The President communicated with the three officials through a teleconference.
Tifatul said in his inaugural speech that the construction of the fiber optic cable in eastern Indonesia was a crucial move to narrow the “digital gap” between the western and eastern parts of the country.
He said the 1,041 kilometer Mataram-Kupang fiber optic cable would consist of inland and submarine cables connecting Mataram-Kawinda Nae-Raba-Waingapu-Ende-Kupang.
It would have installed capacity of 40 Gbps, (Gigabytes per second)and the project is worth US$52 million.
The construction of the rest of the 10,812 kilometer fiber optic cable will commence in early 2011, and will connect Manado-Bitung-Ternate-Sorong-Ambon-Kendari-Kolaka-Watampone-Bulukmba-Makassar.
Unlike the Mataram-Kupang cable, which is funded solely by Telkom, the construction of the remaining eastern Indonesia fiber optic cable would be funded by the Palapa Ring Consortium.
The consortium now effectively consists of Telkom along with two other telecommunication firms PT Indosat and PT Bakrie Telecom, with PT Excelcomindo Pratama now being temporarily inactive due to internal problems.
Ministry spokesman Gatot S. Dewa Broto told The Jakarta Post that the 10,812 kilometer fiber optic cable would be integrated with existing fiber optic cables connecting western Indonesia, and together they would comprise the Palapa Ring system.
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