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In response to the burning of Towers B4 and B5 at Palapa Ring East, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) guarantees connectivity.

Jakarta | January 11, 2021 Press Release No. 10/HM/KOMINFO/01/2021
Monday, January 11, 2021
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Responding to the Burning of Towers B4 and B5 of East Palapa Ring, Kominfo Guarantees Maintained Connectivity

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology discovered an incident of burning telecommunications infrastructure included in the East Palapa Ring network in Puncak Regency, Papua. In response, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has taken two steps to address this situation, focusing on providing connectivity services to the surrounding community.

The President Director of the Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency, Anang Latif, stated that the arson was carried out by an unidentified party on the Palapa Ring microwave infrastructure, tower sites B4 and B5.

"On Saturday, January 9, 2021, BAKTI received a report that the Palapa Ring microwave infrastructure, towers B4 and B5, located in Puncak Regency, Papua Province, was burned by a party whose identity and motive are still unknown," he explained during a virtual press conference on the East Palapa Ring Network Disruption in Papua from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Press Room, Jakarta, Monday (January 11, 2020).

According to Director Anang, the Palapa Ring East Package Team has conducted aerial inspections of both incident locations. "As a result of the burning of these two microwave towers, the Palapa Ring network in Ilaga City, the capital of Puncak Regency, was disrupted," he explained.

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has taken steps to identify the motive for the arson to prevent a recurrence. "In response to this disaster, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics is currently pursuing several measures: First, conducting a thorough investigation to determine the identity of the perpetrator and the motive for the arson," said the Director of BAKTI Kominfo.

In addition, Director Anang stated his commitment to ensuring that East Palapa Ring network connectivity services remain operational. "Second, we remain committed to providing backup connectivity in the affected areas using other technologies, namely satellite (VSAT), to serve Ilaga City," he explained.

Community Support

Construction of the Palapa Ring telecommunications mega-infrastructure began in 2015 and was completed in 2019. This project seeks to provide equitable and equal telecommunications access throughout Indonesia, including the 3T (frontier, outermost, and least developed) regions. A total of 12,148 kilometers of fiber-optic cable have been installed, connecting 90 cities and regencies across Indonesia.

"In realizing this program, we have consistently fostered confidence and dedication to achieving a connected Indonesia. However, today, we feel deep disappointment over the current situation in the Palapa Ring East Package," said the President Director of BAKTI Kominfo.

According to President Director Anang, Palapa Ring is one of the government's efforts to provide equitable connectivity services in Indonesia.

"This incident is certainly a valuable lesson for all of us that if infrastructure is not maintained, it will have a detrimental impact on the community," he emphasized.

To prevent a similar incident from happening again, the President Director of BAKTI Kominfo will strengthen synergy with security forces, including the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (POLRI), as well as local governments. "Infrastructure development for the benefit of the community must be guaranteed secure. Furthermore, accelerating digital transformation is currently a government focus, one of which includes the development of telecommunications infrastructure in Papua," he said.

President Director Anang Latif stated that the infrastructure development program has been a priority for the Ministry of Communication and Informatics until 2024.

"We hope that, for the common good, all Indonesians will participate in maintaining what we have built. By building a reliable and equitable digital infrastructure, we can all close the digital gap, thereby fostering the emergence of new digital talents in Indonesia from Papua," he concluded.

Eddy Siahaan, Operations Director of PT Palapa Timur Telematika, stated that due to the incident, technically, the area around Ilaga City only supports one side of the network connectivity. "Previously, Palapa Ring was on the left and right sides, but now it has no protection in the event of disruptions, so there is a potential for downtime (telecommunications access)," he said.

According to Eddy Siahaan, activating backup services requires time and adequate bandwidth availability. "We need time for VSAT providers to provide adequate or sufficient bandwidth for the city of Ilaga," he said.

Regarding the reconstruction of the Palapa Ring microwave infrastructure, including towers B4 and B5, the Operations Director of Palapa Timur Telematika stated the need for collaboration with various parties. "Hopefully, in the future, the Indonesian people, especially those in Papua, will have a better understanding of the developments undertaken by the government to support the local community," he said.



Sumber berita & gambar : Kominfo