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TELECOMMUNICATION - In line with the company's commitment to providing equal access to information through reliable digital telecommunications infrastructure and services, PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom) through its subsidiary Telkomsat will launch a satellite with High Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology on February 20, 2024, Florida time or February 21, 2024 Indonesian time. This satellite, which will be Telkom's 11th, will occupy the 113 degrees East Longitude (113 EL) orbital slot.
Telkom's CEO Ririek Adriansyah said, "This satellite, named Merah Putih 2, will be launched directly from Cape Canaveral, Florida using the Falcon 9 rocket. Currently, the Merah Putih 2 Satellite is in Cape Canaveral and ready to be launched soon."
With a capacity of up to 32Gbps, the Merah Putih 2 Satellite carries active transponders consisting of C-band and Ku-band frequencies, which will cover the entire area of Indonesia. Previously, Telkom launched the Merah Putih Satellite in 2018 with placement in the 108 EL orbital slot.
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"The Merah Putih 2 Satellite is both a hope and a manifestation of Telkom's commitment to support equal connectivity throughout Indonesia, complementing the land and sea infrastructure we have. Telkom believes that this equal access to information is expected to accelerate the digitalization of society in various aspects," added Ririek.
Next, Telkomsat's CEO Lukman Hakim Abd. Rauf said that the Merah Putih 2 Satellite relies on the Spacebus 4000B2 platform with a design life of 15 years. Its construction involved Thales Alenia Space, which was responsible for the satellite manufacturing, and SpaceX as the satellite launch service provider. Both companies are major players in their sectors and have experience with previous Telkom satellite projects.
"The process of selecting partners and procuring the satellite has been carried out per compliance principles and good corporate governance. In addition, from a business perspective, the partner selection process also considered the lowest cost per Gbps, resulting in a satellite with greater capacity at a competitive selling price," added Lukman.
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Although the Merah Putih 2 Satellite has not yet been launched, the backhaul business potential targeted by this satellite is projected to be very positive. This is evident from the enthusiasm of potential corporate customers and VSAT operators who want to use the satellite's services. Of course, this is an opportunity for Telkom, especially Telkomsat, to strengthen its satellite business portfolio.
"Not only carrying the mission for the nation's connectivity and bringing a good name for Indonesia, hopefully, the presence of the Merah Putih 2 Satellite can strengthen Telkomsat and TelkomGroup as major players in the satellite industry in Indonesia," concluded Ririek.
