Y2K won't affect Palapa-C2 satellite, operator hopes

KUTA, Bali (JP): Private telecoms operator and satellite transponder lessor PT Satellite Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) avouched on Wednesday that its Palapa-C2 satellite would unlikely be affected by Y2K problems.

However, the company's senior manager satellite system directorate Iqbal Masrur said a contingency plan to anticipate possible mode failure has been completed, although the chance of the satellite crashing during the date rollover to January 2000 was very small.

"Satellites work differently. Unlike other computerized equipment, which store data in an hour, date, month and year basis in their memories, satellites do not have any data on a month or year basis," he said.

He said satellites interpreted dates differently. The number of dates in a year used by a satellite system ranged from one to 365 and are not divided into months.

"Because a satellite does not perceive the difference between months or years, it will not face Y2K problems during the transition period from Dec. 31, 1999, to Jan. 1, 2000," he said.

Y2K refers to problems computerized systems will face at the turn of the century, when their two-digit year counters fail to distinguish between 1900 and 2000.

The glitch may cause computers to shut down or fail to function properly. Power supplies may drop, telephone and transportation systems may stop operating and automated banking transactions may fail.

Masrur said Satelindo has completed the contingency plan for its satellite system and was expected to complete the contingency plan for its ground control facilities.

"The satellite maker, American Hughes Communications International, is currently working on the modification of the computer system at our ground control facility in Jakarta. The facility will be Y2K compliant by Nov. 20," he said on the sidelines of the third Palapa-C Users' Gathering in Bali.

Satelindo started its satellite transponder lessor business in 1996 after the company was appointed to take over some of Telkom's satellites, Palapa C1 and C2.

The Palapa-C satellites provide, among other things, transponder capacities for analog and digital carriers, telecast services for broadcasting companies, multimedia services as well as compressed digital video transmission service.

Users of the satellites include broadcasting companies such as America's CNN and MTV, Australia's ABC, the Philippines' TV People, Malaysia's Mega TV and TV-3, Brunei Darussalam's RTB and Indonesia's TVRI, Indosiar, TPI, RCTI and ANTEVE.

Local telecoms and multimedia providers like Lintas Arta, Citra Sari Makmur and Indosat and companies like PT Pos, Astra and Bank Danamon also benefit from Palapa C1 and C2 satellite transmission services.

Satelindo is currently working on its own satellite, Palapa- C3. The new satellite is designed to serve more than 100 digital services covering Indonesia, China and India.

Masrur said Satelindo would exercise precaution by collaborating with another local satellite transponder lessor, the state-run telecoms company PT Telkom.

He said that under the agreement with Telkom, both companies would allocate a certain amount of their transponder space to be used by each other's customers under emergency situation.

"So, if Palapa-C2 encounters a mode failure due to a millennium bug problem, users can transfer to Telkom's Telkom-1 satellite, and vice versa," he said. (zen/cst)