Telkom plans new network for 3 islands

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State-owned telecommunications company PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) is planning to construct a new fiber optic network this year to strengthen its telecommunications backbone for Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan islands.

Telkom business and service director Suryatin Setiawan told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that the planned fiber optic cable, which would be planted under the seabed, would link Jakarta, Pontianak in West Kalimantan and Batam.

"The project provides an alternative should there be any disruptions to the network installed on land," he said at the Office of the State Minister of State Enterprises.

According to Suryatin, the new fiber optic project is worth around Rp 300 billion (US$33 million), with the bidding process to kick off next month.

He added that the project was also aimed at improving telecommunication connections among the three islands, with an ability of transferring high capacity connections for data and providing more secure transmission.

"The network is good to strengthen defense infrastructure since it is more endurable and secure from enemy attacks compared to other transmission devices," said Suryatin.

Optical fibers are long, thin strands of pure glass arranged in bundles, called optical cables, used to transmit light signals over long distances to provide fixed phone line connections.

Connections using fiber optic cables are more secure because there will be no electromagnetic interference as experienced when using a satellite. Such connections are ideal for high traffic communications.

As part of the country's defense infrastructure blueprint, the government offered the $1 billion Palapa Ring project -- which is designed to link Indonesian cities through an integrated fiber optic network -- to local and global investors during January's Infrastructure Summit.

Meanwhile, Suryatin said Telkom was obliged by the government to install some 300,000 units of fixed-line telephones to hook remote areas nationwide by stretching copper cables.

Fixed-line networks using copper cables are deemed more resistant to disruptions caused by wars, compared to cellular- based networks.

The defense reason has been cited as the main reason for the government's efforts to urge publicly listed Telkom, as well as PT Indosat, to scale up the installation of copper-based fixed lines throughout the country.