Multimedia project continues amid crisis<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The country's ambitious multimedia project to
\nlink the archipelago with information technology and superhighway
\nnetworks would continue as scheduled despite the currency crisis,
\nan official said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications, Jonathan L. Parapak, said there would be some
\nrevisions and adjustments to the Nusantara 21 project due to the
\ncurrency crisis, which had hit Indonesia since last July.<\/p>\n
However, he said adjustments would not affect the project's
\nschedule because most parts of the project were already underway.<\/p>\n
\"Among related projects to continue are satellite and fiber
\noptic networks,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Adjustments would take place in the form of the selection of
\ncities to be linked with the information technology
\ninfrastructure and superhighway networks, he said.<\/p>\n
Due to the monetary upheaval, the government has decided to
\ncancel indefinitely the licensing of 11 new cellular operators.
\nThe new cellular licenses were originally scheduled to be awarded
\nlate last year.<\/p>\n
Nusantara 21's plans include the development of multimedia
\ntechnology in several big cities and wideband superlanes by 2001.
\nThe project will be implemented in various stages.<\/p>\n
In the first phase, the project will link the country's 27
\nprovincial capitals with connections appropriate to each
\nprovince's economic development plan.<\/p>\n
All existing telecommunications infrastructure, including
\nsatellites, conventional and terrestrial cables, submarine cables
\nand terrestrial radio links, are to be linked to the new massive
\ntelecommunications network.<\/p>\n
\"Infrastructure development has been completed in Jakarta. Big
\ncities in Kalimantan, Sumatra and Sulawesi will soon have such
\nnetworks,\" Parapak said.<\/p>\n
He said Jakarta would be a multimedia city by 1999.<\/p>\n
\"A multimedia city means the city will have a service capacity
\nin wideband superlanes next year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
After the capital, Medan, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta,
\nDenpasar, Ujungpandang, Batam, Kuala Kencana and Balikpapan would
\nalso become multimedia cities, he said.<\/p>\n
When the plan was announced in late 1996, the government
\nestimated that Nusantara 21, which would involve both private and
\ngovernment participation, would cost at least Rp 33 trillion
\n(US$4.7 billion).<\/p>\n
Nusantara 21 will include the archipelago superlane,
\nmultimedia cities and Nusantara multimedia community access
\ncenters. The archipelago superlane will connect the 27 provincial
\ncapitals with backbone transmission facilities.<\/p>\n
Multimedia cities will cover big and small cities' commercial
\nand economic centers with fiber optics and medium and wide-band
\nfacilities. The number of multimedia cities will increase
\ngradually into a \"telecommuting\", long-distance system.<\/p>\n
Nusantara multimedia community access centers are set to
\nprovide broadband pay phones, broadband business centers,
\nmultimedia community kiosks and network e-libraries.<\/p>\n
Major cities and district capitals should be hooked up by
\n2001. By that time, educational and cultural, health, trade,
\nresearch and scientific, tourist, public service and governmental
\napplications should be sufficiently developed to benefit from the
\ntelecommunications highway. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/multimedia-project-continues-amid-crisis-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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