The XX Papua PON will show Papua and Indonesia’s competence to the world in conducting a major sporting event in the midst of COVID-19.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate has said that he is optimistic that the Papua's PON National Games will run well.

"I hope that the XX Papua PON will be successful and the public can enjoy the tournament," he stated in a press release received by ANTARA on Thursday night.

To support the national multi-sport event, the ministry has prepared prime public telecommunications and communication infrastructure, he informed.

The minister has made a two-day official visit to Papua on September 23-24.

Plate said that his official visit to Jayapura city and district had two agendas.

The first agenda was related to the main task and function of the Communication and Informatics Ministry in digital acceleration, the minister disclosed.

He said he followed up on the development of information and communication technology infrastructure in Papua province during his visit.

Meanwhile, the second agenda was related to public communication on the implementation of XX Papua PON, he added.

During his visit, Plate lauded the Directorate General of Public Information and Communication, which has prepared infrastructure to ensure that public communication runs well during the games.

He also expressed the hope that the implementation of the XX Papua PON will be successful in terms of achievement, implementation, and administration, in keeping with President Joko Widodo's directives.

"The XX Papua PON will show Papua and Indonesia’s competence to the world in conducting a major sporting event in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic while still adhering to health protocols,” the minister remarked while visiting Kominfo’s Media Center for XX Papua PON in Jayapura district on Thursday.

Considering that communication access is an important pillar to support the implementation of XX Papua PON, the ministry has provided 4G cellular telecommunications network services to the region, he noted.

All sporting venues and other supporting facilities have been provided access to 4G cellular communications, he added.

The government has also taken several steps to ensure the availability of telecommunications services during the implementation of PON events, the minister informed.

For instance, the ministry has built a new route for a submarine communications optical cable network north of Jayapura, at a depth of four thousand meters, he said.

In addition, by coordinating intensively with cellular operators, the ministry is committed to maintaining the quality of telecommunications networks during the national event, he added.

Thus, the data traffic capacity of the 4G cellular telecommunication network packet can be used optimally amid the event, Plate said.

Meanwhile, Director General of Public Information and Communication Usman Kansong said that his office has prepared media centers in three PON venue clusters comprising Jayapura, Mimika, and Merauke districts that can be used by media crews to produce news regarding the event.

The media center at Allison Hotel in Jayapura district has been operational since September 20, 2021 and will remain open till October 15, he pointed out. It will provide a working area for journalists and can accommodate 100 media crews.

Meanwhile, the media center at Mimika district has been made operational since September 26, 2021 and will continue to operate till October 15, 2021 at Mozza Hotel, he disclosed. The center offers working space and can accommodate 50 journalists.

Merauke district’s media center is located at the Merauke Regional Library and its working area can hold up to 50 journalists, Kansong said. This facility will operate from September 20 to October 15, 2021.

The working space in each media center has been equipped with computers, printers, and high-speed internet networks, he said.

In addition, facilities have been provided to help journalists interact with resource persons during press conferences, he added.

The ministry has applied strict health protocols at each media center to support the successful implementation of the national sporting event and curb the transmission of COVID-19 around the PON venue clusters, Kansong said.

Furthermore, the directorate general has also provided a microsite (infopublik.id/ponpapua) that contains information related to the implementation of the sporting event and the hosting regions in general, he added.

Content related to hard news, features, photos, and videos can be downloaded from the microsite and distributed widely to allow the public to have comprehensive information on the implementation of XX Papua PON and its impact, he said.

The director general said that the establishment of the microsite aims to support the main portal—of www.ponxx2021papua.com—which is being managed by the XX Papua National Sports Week Organizing Committee (PB PON).

"It is hoped that journalists -- especially those who do not come to Papua -- can still obtain information on the implementation of the XX Papua PON," he added.

The XX Papua PON will be officially inaugurated on October 2, 2021 and run until October 15, 2021. Matches in a number of sports -- esports, surfing, baseball, and softball -- have already begun ahead of the inauguration.

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Translator: Dadan Ramdani, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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