The Indonesian government is dedicated to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which are primarily aimed at improving people’s quality of life. One of the most important methods is to empower information and communication technology (ICT). Thus, ICT developments in Indonesia have been accelerating.
To emphasise this, the Director of Network & IT Solution of Indonesia’s state-owned telecommunication company announced that his company was preparing world-class telecommunication infrastructure to support the 20th National Sports Week, which is scheduled for October 2021 in Papua. He was confident that, after multiple tests over the last three months, the network for National Sports Week was ready to meet the needs of the entire contingent and community and the company had developed a 99.99% backup system to ensure stable connectivity throughout the event.
The telecommunications company, as one of the partners to support the provision of telecommunications infrastructure and services, has guaranteed continuous communication and internet connectivity throughout the event. They have explored various avenues of preparation, such as network tests or rehearsal tests, as well as infrastructure checks that will serve as a communication backbone during the National Games.
Network tests were carried out on the backbone infrastructure, access networks, and services for both telecommunications companies, including the Sulawesi-Maluku-Papua Cable System (SMPCS), using submarine cables, satellites, IP radio, and cyber security attacks (DDoS protection). In addition, the company established a task force of over 900 people made up of special technicians to assist regular technicians and experts in Papua and other parts of Indonesia.
Personnel will be on duty daily at 49 venues across four districts and cities where the event is taking place, namely Jayapura City, Jayapura District, Mimika District and Merauke District. The Task Force of the telecommunications company is assigned the role of mitigating risks in the Sulawesi-Maluku-Papua Cable System (SMPCS), which includes the East Palapa Ring network, satellites, radio towers, and submarine cables, in addition to maintaining network security and readiness in the four areas that will host the event.
OpenGov Asia recently reported that another Indonesia’s telecommunications provider had collaborated with a networking vendor to launch the country’s first commercial deployment of segment routing over a network technology to support the development of its 5G services.
With the emergence of newer technologies such as Cloud Computing and Network Slicing, this new technology, along with the digital telecom company’s wide fibre optic network expansions, will support the growing demand for mobile data consumption. The network intelligent routing functionality that enables deterministic routing paths will ensure high quality and low latency on-demand services with faster data connectivity and full automation required to serve Indonesia’s digital communities. In addition, network slicing allows the company to create new digital services for each customer by enabling the functions that cater to their needs.
In addition to preparing the communication network infrastructure, the telecommunications company offers wireless internet access points (Wi-Fi) to ensure consistent internet connectivity during the event. The company has set up 891 free Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the competition arena and public spaces. Hundreds of Wi-Fi points have a bandwidth capacity of more than 100 Gbps.
The company’s Director of Enterprise & Business Service stated that the company had prepared various digital telecommunication services to ensure the event’s smooth implementation, “The services we provide include mobile telecommunication services, the provision of private internet networks for security and information system requirements, as well as wireless internet services through hundreds of Wi-Fi points at various places.”
The company has also prepared a backup network for the existing network via satellite, IP Long Haul Radio, and a Sea Cable Communication System (SKKL) specifically leased via the Papua-New Guinea and an American network.