PT Indosat to operate new telecommunication gateways

PT Indosat to operate new telecommunication gateways

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned PT Indosat will operate its new international telecommunications gateways and earth station early next month.

Indosat's president, Tjahjono Soerjodibroto, said here yesterday that the Rp 100 billion (US$43.6 million) facilities, included three gateways in Batam, Riau, Pantai Cermin, North Sumatra, and Banyuurip in Gresik, East Java.

The earth station, which will be used for International Maritime Satellite (Inmarsat) services, is located in Jatiluhur, West Java.

The new facilities, as well as the new building of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, are among the services and assets of the ministry to be inaugurated by President Soeharto on Dec. 6.

Indosat currently operates four international gateways, six earth station antennas, four submarine cable landing terminals and five microwave links.

"The gateway in Banyuurip is prepared to facilitate telecommunications in the country's eastern provinces, including communications to and from Kalimantan and Sulawesi," Tjahjono said.

He said that by the end of 1996, the telecommunications facilities already having earth stations will be equipped with submarine cables.

"So, the facilities can reach countries within the Asia- Pacific region," he said.

He said that Indosat will cooperate with telecommunications operators from the United States, Brunei, Malaysia and Palau to prepare the installation of the submarine cables from Surabaya in East Java to Brunei, Sarawak in Malaysia, Mindanao in the Philippines, Manado in North Sulawesi and Guam.

The project may develop into a network starting from Japan and reaching Malaysia, Singapore, Jakarta, Surabaya and then linking up with Guam, he said.

He said that the project will likely start in 1997 or 1998. (icn)