Photo caption: (Left-right) Executive General Manager of Telkom's Service Operation Division as Chair of the Indonesian Submarine Cable Communication System Association (ASKALSI) Akhmad Ludfy, Assistant Deputy for Marine and Coastal Spatial Management, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs M. Rasman Manafi, Assistant Deputy for Infrastructure Supporting Industries, Coordinating Ministry Maritime Affairs and Investment Yudi Prabangkara, Director of Marine Spatial Planning, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Suharyanto, and Telkom Vice President Regulatory Management Chairudin Mirza posed for a photo after engaging in a focus group discussion "Towards Regulatory and TelkomGroup Synergy in Arrangement and Operation of Submarine Cables for Digital Sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia, in Jakarta, some time ago.

Photo caption: (Left-right) Assistant Deputy for Marine and Coastal Spatial Management, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs M. Rasman Manafi, Assistant Deputy for Infrastructure Support Industry, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment Yudi Prabangkara, and Director of Marine Spatial Planning, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Suharyanto in the focus group discussion "Towards Regulatory and TelkomGroup Synergy in Arrangement and Operation of Submarine Cables for Digital Sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia, in Jakarta, some time ago.

Jakarta, 15 March 2022 – PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom) is always committed to organizing and deploying an excellent submarine cable communication system  in order to meet the increasing needs of public data access and communication. It is necessary to have synergy and collaboration between regulators and TelkomGroup to prove this commitment. 

The role of the government for TelkomGroup is very important in supporting the development and improvement of digital infrastructure, especially the submarine cable communication system. The government supports the process of accelerating the deployment of Patara-2 infrastructure as a backup for Papua's submarine cables and also the Bifrost international submarine cable consortium, which will become the backbone of the submarine cable for the new national capital Nusantara. The government also supports Telkom to quickly issue operation permits to repair TelkomGroup's submarine cable.

The synergy and collaboration between TelkomGroup and regulators for optimizing the submarine cable communication system was evident during a recent focus group discussion, during which Director of Marine Spatial Planning  Suharyanto and Director of Supervision of Marine Resources Management Halid K. Jusuf of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Assistant Deputy for Infrastructure Support Industry, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment Yudi Prabangkara, Assistant Deputy for Marine Spatial Management and Coastal, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, M. Rasman Manafi, Head of Sub-Directorate for Surveys and Mapping, Directorate General of Defense Strategy, Ministry of Defense Colonel Heri Pribadi, and Head of Sub-Directorate for Publication of the Hydro-Oceanography Center of the Indonesian Navy Lt. Col. (F) Farid Muldiyanto were in attendance.

In the discussion, Telkom Executive General Manager of Service Operation Division as Chair of the Indonesian Submarine Cable Communication System Association (ASKALSI) Akhmad Ludfy said ecosystem synergy was necessary so that the submarine cable could benefit a lot for the community. In addition, all parties have to cooperate to ensure a more conducive submarine cable deployment management. 

"There needs to be ecosystem synergy so that the submarine cable deployment is beneficial for Telkom as a company and also for the state," said Ahmad Ludfy.

As the operator and owner of the 24,065 kilometer submarine cable in Indonesia, TelkomGroup is aware of the importance of this infrastructure to meet the growing public demand for communication and information needs in the digital era. As the communication backbone that provides high-speed internet access, the submarine cable serves as an important infrastructure for the government's mission to realize digital sovereignty in Indonesia.

This urgency requires the entire submarine cable communication system procurement process to be carried out optimally and adhere to various existing regulations, including the Decree of the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia number 14 of 2021 concerning Pipelines and/or Subsea Cables. Halid K. Jusuf, Director of Supervision for the Management of Marine Resources of the fisheries ministry said that the use of marine space for submarine cable deployment is possible as long as it is in accordance with the rules and does not violate various ecological regulations and norms.

Since the National Team was formed, there has been better coordination for the development and arrangement of submarine cable, according to the Fisheries Ministry's Director of Marine Spatial Planning Suharyanto. The National Team allows a quick and easy evaluation and business permits for submarine cable deployment. 

Assistant Deputy for Infrastructure Support Industry, Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Yudi Prabangkara said, in the future, submarine cable will be a priority digital infrastructure in Indonesia. Therefore, according to the Assistant Deputy for Marine and Coastal Spatial Management of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, M. Rasman Manafi, marine spatial planning must be carried out properly and correctly to reduce any possible inter-space conflicts in the sea in the future. 

Colonel Heri Pribadi said, there is now a tighter security and permit issuance on the construction of the submarine cable, and that the Ministry of Defense will not currently issue a security clearance if the company that deploys the submarine cable and the relevant authorities do not communicate with each other. 

Marine Lieutenant Colonel (P) Farid Muldiyanto said it was important to pay attention to the recommendations issued by the National Team and it serves as a reference for an orderly licensing of the submarine cable placement location. Currently, the infrastructure providers find it easy to deploy submarine cable thanks to the government's various support.

"We hope the government will pay attention to submarine cable deployment as part of the national strategy to accelerate the transformation towards Indonesia's digital sovereignty. TelkomGroup as an element of business actors in this sector is ready to continue to synergize with the government, to inform or provide input needed in connection with the need for the implementation of submarine cable, so that services to the community always run smoothly," Ahmad Ludfy said.

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