Witnessed By Jokowi And Mohammed Bin Zayed, Smartfren Owned By Conglomerate Eka Tjipta Widjaja And Abu Dhabi Investors Sign MoU To Build 1,000 MW Data Center

Chairman & CEO of Sinar Mas Telecommunications & Technology Franky Oesman Widjaja. (Photo: Doc. Sinar Mas)

JAKARTA - Smartfren, a company from the Sinar Mas Group owned by conglomerate Eka Tjipta Widjaja signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an investor from Abu Dhabi, G42 Investment AI Holding RSC Ltd (G42), to organize a database (data center) with a capacity of 1,000 Mega Watts (MW).

G42 is a company engaged in artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The collaboration will also involve local partner PT Amara Padma Sehati (APS).

Chairman & CEO of Sinar Mas Telecommunications & Technology, Franky Oesman Widjaja, said databases are the backbone of the development of the digital industry in Indonesia. Franky is also optimistic that this collaboration will realize the construction of databases in the country and maintain national data sovereignty which is being carried out by the Government of Indonesia.

"In addition, the development of this database will improve the quality of people's lives, it will also spur innovation in the industrial sector 4.0 in the country", Franky said in a press release, quoted Friday, November 5.

Franky added that Smartfren and its affiliated company PT Mora Telematika Indonesia (Moratelindo), which is engaged in providing fiber-optic connectivity, will collaborate with APS and G42 as strategic partners. With their knowledge and experience, the collaboration between the two is expected to be able to increase national resilience, security, and sovereignty.

Furthermore, Franky said, the development of an adequate domestic database infrastructure is an urgent matter to do. Using a database that is located in the country will provide the ability to access data more easily, quickly, and safely.

In addition, Franky said, to support the rapid development of the digital economy and create large jobs in the field of digitalization and industry 4.0.

Meanwhile, G42 CEO Peng Xiao explained that G42 and Etisalat had just merged their database business.

"This combination will become the largest database business in the United Arab Emirates. G42 is proud and ready to work with Smartfren and become a strategic partner to support data security in Indonesia", said Peng.

The exchange of agreement documents was carried out between the Chairman and CEO of Sinar Mas Telecommunication and Technology, Franky Oesman Widjaja, and the CEO of G42, Peng Xiao at an event held at Expo Dubai on Thursday, November 4, 2021, and witnessed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo and the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.