State-owned telecommunications provider PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) president director Alex J
tate-owned telecommunications provider PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) president director Alex J. Sinaga has said that by installing a fiber optic ribbon cable system, namely the Sulawesi Maluku Papua Cable System (SMPCS), Telkom can hopefully serve 4.3 million customers.
The cable system was aimed at particularly realizing voice and data telecommunication services in Maluku and Papua, which had been served by a satellite-based system and tended to be limited, he added.
'From now on, eastern Indonesian areas will be served by a fiber optic ribbon backbone network system, in which they will enjoy a quality voice and data service similar to that provided for areas on Java Island,' said Alex as quoted by Antara on Monday.
The SMPCS fiber optic network construction project with an investment value of around Rp 3.6 trillion (US$273.6 million) will reach 34 regencies and eight provinces in eastern Indonesia. The eight provinces are East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, Papua, Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and West Papua.
'The SMPCS construction project comprises two packages. In Package 1, we will build a 5,617 kilometer-long fiber optic network system and 3,155 kilometers in Package 2. This effort is also part of the Id-Ring, one of the components in the Indonesia Digital Network, which is one of Telkom's three main programs in 2015,' said Alex.
He said the SMPCS was important to increase broadband access to all circles of society. 'We are sure that the installment of this sea cable will be able to realize a balanced distribution of communication and information access,' said Alex.
The new network system, he further said, could lead eastern Indonesia, which was blessed by abundant natural resources, to develop its potential. This could hopefully accelerate Indonesia's development and economic distribution.
'This will improve the country's competitiveness ahead the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 as well,' said Alex. (ebf)
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