Indosat constructing third earth station on Batam

Indosat constructing third earth station on Batam

JAKARTA (JP): International data telecommunications to and
from the island of Batam and its surrounding areas in Riau
province will soon be upgraded when PT Indosat finishes the
construction of its third earth station at Bukit Matakucing in
the eastern part of the island.

"The construction of the earth station, which costs about Rp
16 billion (US$7.45 million), will be completed at the end of
this year," Indosat's president, Tjahjono Soerjodibroto, told
reporters after signing an agreement to support cooperatives
within the Association of Retired Military Officers (Pepabri) in
a ceremony here Saturday.

He said the station will support high-speed international data
telecommunications.

"We are sure that there will soon be a soaring expansion of
multinational companies in Batam as the island rapidly develops
into an industrial area," he said, adding that many enterprises
have applied for access to the data system.

Tjahjono believed that Batam will be more appealing to
businessmen if various facilities are improved to smooth their
commercial affairs.

So far, Batam and neighboring Bintan island are being
developed as sites for the pilot project of the latest technology
of the global system for mobile telecommunications. The project,
worth Rp 10 billion ($4.69 million), will offer 3,000 lines in
the first phase, which will be increased to 10,000 lines in the
future.

Indosat, the state-owned international telecommunications
service company and the country's first company that will offer
shares internationally, has established an earth station in
Jatiluhur, West Java, and is constructing another one in Pantai
Cermin, North Sumatra.

The station in Jatiluhur was constructed in 1967 while the
Pantai Cermin one is being built by NEC of Japan with an
investment of about Rp 12 billion ($5.63 million) to bolster the
infrastructure of telecommunications networks in the Indonesia-
Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle.

Tjahjono also said that his company is still discussing a
project with members of other Asian countries to introduce direct
telecommunications services for passengers from airplanes to
ground receivers without utilizing satellites.

"This is a complicated project and feasibility studies are
still underway. We have to consider technology and security
aspects of the planned service," he said.

Assistance

Under the agreement signed yesterday by Tjahjono, Pepabri's
chairman Soesilo Soedarman, chairman of the Confederation of
Pepabri's Cooperatives (Inkopabri) Sri Muljono Herlambang and
Telkom's finance director Muljohardjoko, Indosat will extend some
Rp 80 million in assistance to nine cooperatives, while Telkom
will extend some Rp 95 million to assist 14 cooperatives of
Inkopabri.

Tjahjono said Indosat will also provide management assistance
for the cooperatives within two years.

Soesilo, who is also Coordinating Minister for Political
Affairs and Security, said that Rp 57 million out of the
financial assistance will be given to cooperatives in Sukabumi,
West Java. (icn)