REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MANOKWARI -- President Joko Widodo officially launched the operation of Sulawesi Maluku Papua Cable System (SMPCS) in Manokwari, West Papua, on Sunday evening.
President Jokowi as he is also called arrived at the office of PT Telekomunkasi Indonesia Tbk., flanked by First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo, minister of public works Basuki Hadimuljono, minister of social affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa, and was welcomed by West Papua governor Octavianus Attururi, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk.
president director Alex J Sinaga and district heads from across the West Papua province.
The inauguration of the 8,772 kilometer-long SMPCS connecting Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua was part of the program of President's working visit to Papua since Friday (May 8).
On the occasion President Joko Widodo tried the reliability of the broadband communication network through a video conference with minister of communication and informatics Rudiantara who was at the STO Gambir Network Operation Center in Jakarta.
He also conducted direct communication with Aceh governor Zaini Abdullah in Banda Aceh, Sumatra.
Alex J Sinaga said the SMPCS project was Telkom's contribution to Indonesia's development done through information and communication access distribution from the western part to the eastern part of the country.
"The SMPCS would expand connectivity and increase capacity of data service in regions that have so far not yet been served adequately. The SMPCS presence is important to improve broadband access to all," he said.
He said with the operation of SMPCS around 4.3 million voice and data telecommunication service customers who have so far been served through a satellite system would now be served using optic fiber broadband system with a quality as good as in Java.
The SMPCS is an optic fiber network covering eight provinces and 34 districts in the Indonesian eastern region.
Provinces covered by the network include North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, North Maluku, Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Papua and Papua.
With an investment of up to Rp3.6 trillion the SMPCS development has been divided into two packages with the first one covering 4,617 kilometer and the second one 3,155 kilometer.
The SMPCS is part of Id-Ring, one of the components of Indonesia Digital Network which has been one of the three main programs of the company for 2015.
Through the IDN, Telkom wishes to develop digital business because it is aware that in order to become "The KIng of Digital" the company has to develop infrastructure and connectivity which are very important factors.
In view of that through three IDN componets namely IJd Access, Id Ring and Id Con, Telkom would present digitalization in Indonesia.
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