PAPUAAROUND – Digitalization in various fields has now become a necessity. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the quality of Internet services in order to facilitate and improve the quality of work. The Republic of Indonesia Satellite or Satria-1, which has just been launched, is a necessity.
Papua Province is one of the places to watch together to witness the launch of Satria-1 from 11 Earth stations (gateways).
Specifically for Papua, the watching together took place in three regions, namely Bumi Station, Jayapura City, Papua, Mimika Regency, Central Papua, and Manokwari, West Papua. Watching together with the ranks of the provincial, district, city governments, as well as several school children and the local community.
Satria-1 itself launched via the Falcon 9 Rocket on June 19, 2023 at 18:02 Florida time, United States, or 07:21 East Indonesian Time (WIT).
The Papua Provincial Government through the local Communication and Information Service (Diskominfo) enthusiastically welcomed the launch of Satria-1. The presence of Satria-1 will prioritize public services in frontier, outermost and underdeveloped (3 T) areas in Bumi Cenderawasih.
Head of Informatics Technology at the Diskominfo Province of Papua Province Thomas Sibi said Satria-1 is an Internet satellite owned by the Government of Indonesia and is prepared to provide public communication facilities in the region (3T).
“Therefore we give high appreciation to the Government of Indonesia and are grateful for the launch. The community will certainly feel the benefits, especially in the fields of education, business, health. The same goes for officers in border areas,” he said.
With the support of a fast connection, future government programs can also be realized more quickly, both in the health, education and security sectors.
Currently in Papua, out of eight districts and one city, there is one that does not have Internet access at all, namely the Mamberamo Raya District. The presence of Satria-1 will end the void of Internet access.
Some time ago during a visit to Mambero Raya Regency, Dikomonfo Papua received complaints from medical staff who had difficulty accessing the internet. In fact, now all medical reporting must be digital.
Apart from that, there are also areas in the new autonomous province that still have difficulty accessing internet services so that with the presence of Satria-1, all citizens of the Land of Papua can feel the benefits of this satellite.
Thus creating digital connectivity that will accelerate the transformation of telecommunications and bring progress while strengthening the unity and integrity of the Indonesian nation and increasing economic growth
Blank Spot Area
Acting Mayor of Jayapura Frans Pekey acknowledged that even though the city already has internet access, there are still a number of blank spots, especially inland and border areas.
Therefore, it is certain that the Satria-1 Satellite that has been launched can immediately provide benefits to these areas, especially areas that were previously without connection in the 3 T region.
The focus and main objective of launching Satria-1 is to serve the education, health and security sectors so that the presence of the satellite is considered appropriate for advancing the regions in Papua.
Frans Pekey is proud because Jayapura City is one of the places and witnessed the launch of the satellite.
The launch of Satria-1 is a form of the government building an even distribution of information and communication technology infrastructure throughout the archipelago.
The launch of Satria-1 is a historic event for the Indonesian people in the advancement of digital infrastructure. This launch is something that the people of Papua have been waiting for, especially the City of Jayapura.
Frans hopes that various accessories for the Satria-1 network can be built soon so that it can operate in January 2024 and the community will feel the benefits.
It is believed that the presence of Satria-1 will further increase access to digital technology in all corners of Papua, including in Jayapura City,
The government’s multifunctional satellite will occupy an orbit of 146°E, right above Papua Island. Satria-1 is the Government’s first multifunctional satellite with the largest capacity in Asia.
Satria-1 has a total transmission capacity of 150 Gbps with internet services at 50,000 points of public facilities, which makes it the largest in Asia and number five in the world.
To reach the desired position, it takes 4-5 months for the orbit process to arrive and occupy the slot of 146 degrees East Longitude (BT), which is right above the island of Papua, Indonesia.
Internet speed at each public service point is projected to reach 4 Mbps, an increase from the initial calculation in 2018 when the Satria-1 project was initiated which carried a speed of 1 Mbps for each point.
Head of Business Entity Telecommunications and Information Services Division 1 Bakti Kominfo Ade Dimianti hopes that the internet access provided by Satria-1 can be utilized optimally.
“Students, health workers and government employees can carry out their duties properly with Internet access from the satellite,” he said.
He explained that Satria-1 is targeted to start serving fast Internet access for the public in early 2024, because after launch there will be several phases before it is ready to operate.
One of them is the provision of Earth station segments and terminals for satellite internet access at public service points after the launch.
Through this project, all education services, health facilities, defense and security administration, as well as local government, especially in Papua, can be connected via the internet.
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