Getting To Know Satria Satellite 1: Is This A Massive Internet Upgrade In Indonesia?

Getting To Know Satria Satellite 1 (Riske Mustam Image - Pixabay)

YOGYAKARTA - Did you know that on June 17, 2023, it will be a great history for Indonesia. Because the Republic of Indonesia Satellite or Satria-1 Satellite will launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States. Later the satellite will be tasked with helping provide internet access in our country. Want to get to know satellite satria 1 further?

This satellite is assembled by Thales Alenia Space, a space industry operating in France. After completion, the satellite was sent by sea to the United States.

The agenda for launching the Satria-1 satellite has been determined by the Acting Minister of Communication and Information Mahfud Md during a working meeting with Commission I of the DPR some time later.

"(Satria- 1 satellite) will be launched on June 17 from Florida," said Mahfud.

This government satellite will be launched using a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX to reach an orbit of 146 degrees east longitude.

After being launched in mid-June, the Satria-1 satellite is expected to operate in the fourth Triluwan in 2023.

"The arrival of digital technology has an important role in efforts to realize Indonesia's advanced vision in 2045. Therefore, the ability of digital technology is one of the key actors in realizing this vision," said Mahfud.

The satellite, which has Very High Throughput Satellite (VHTS) technology, has a height of approximately 6.5 m, weighing 4.5 tons, a capacity of 150 Gbps, with a life period of up to 15 years.

To support the operation of the Satria-1 satellite, 11 Earth stations spread throughout Indonesia, have begun to be formed. The station will be a communication link between the Satria-1 satellite and technicians on Earth. The position of the Earth station is in Batam, Cikarang, Banjarmasin, Tarakan, Pontianak, Kupang, Ambon, Manado, Manokwari, Timika, and Jayapura.

The Earth Station in Cikarang functions as the primary satellite control center station, network operation control, and the Satria gateway which is one unit of this national project.

This Earth Station will function to regulate and supervise the movement of the Satria-1 satellite, implement network management so that it is in accordance with service stability standards, and information communication facilities between the Satria-1 satellite and Earth.

There is also a national strategic project carried out by PT Satelit Nusantara 3(SNT), a private business entity built by the PSN Consortium as the winner of the tender, to operate the government satellite.

The provision of this satellite project uses a Government and Business Entity Cooperation (KPBU) scheme. The satellite is carried out by PT Satelit Nusantara 3 (SNT), an industry built by the winner of the tender consisting of PT Pintar Nusantara Sejahtera, PT Pacific Satelit Nusantara, PT Dian Semesta Sentosa, and PT Nusantara Satelit Sejahtera.

There is also a total need for funding the Satria-1 satellite project worth USD 545 million or approximately IDR 7.68 trillion. This value consists of an equity allotment of USD 114 million dollars or approximately IDR 1.61 trillion, as well as a USD 431 million loan or equivalent to IDR 6.07 trillion.

SNT as a private business entity that operates the Satria-1 satellite has attracted investors for funding, namely BPI France (French Export Credit Bank) supported by Banco Santander, HSBC Continental Europe, and The Korea Development Bank (KDB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) from China.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which is still attacking, does not limit the efforts to launch the Satria- 1 satellite. The government really hopes that Satria-1 can launch according to the targeted agenda.

When it is launched later, Indonesia will become the fourth country in the world after the United States, Luxembourg, and Canada have high-speed internet satellites. Satria will be the largest internet satellite that once owned by the country in Asia with a capacity of 150 Gbps.

This capacity is very capable to oversee internet services at 150,000 points (spots) in all of the archipelago that have not been handled by the Palapa Ring, is 54,400 points in Sumatra, accompanied by Sulawesi (23,900 points), Java (19,400 points), Kalimantan (19,300 points), Papua and Maluku (18,500 points), and as many as 13,500 points in Bali and Nusa Tenggara.

So after getting to know the Satria 1 satellite, watch other interesting news on VOI, it's time to revolutionize news!