Jakarta (ANTARA) - Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate considers Indonesia's position, as member of the Radio Regulatory Board (RRB) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), important to achieve equitable access to telecommunications through construction of satellites.

The Indonesian government is known to have proposed the name of Meiditomo Sutyarjoko as a member of the RRB Region E Asia Australasia ITU.

"Why do we propose (member of the RRB ITU)? (It is) because Indonesia is currently intensively building satellites," he noted in a press release on Monday.

Plate made this statement after attending the opening of the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (ITU PP 2022) at the Palace of Parliament, Bucharest, Romania, on Monday (Sept 26) local time.

Minister Plate stated that Indonesia is one of the countries in Asia that has the largest satellite capacity. He affirmed that the government has and will continue to build cooperation with partner countries, including signing contracts for satellite supply.

By obtaining a membership position in the ITU RRB, the minister considered that it could assist the government in providing orbital slots, so that satellite telecommunications access is more evenly distributed.

"I certainly hope that Doctor Meiditomo would be successful as a member of the RRB and fight for Indonesia's interests to get an orbital slot," he stated.

Minister Plate emphasized that the strategic position in the ITU RRB has an important impact on the interests of Indonesia and the world in the efforts to reduce the digital divide.

"Hence, those who build and place a satellite, with a large capacity, in orbit with a High Throughput Satellite, for which we currently have two contracts, are SATRIA 1 of 150 Gbps and the Hot Standby Backup Satellite, with the same capacity of 150 Gbps," Plate stated.

At the opening of ITU PP 2022, Minister Plate was accompanied by Secretary General Mira Tayyiba, Director General of Postal and Information Technology Resources Ismail, and Director of the Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency Anang Latif.

Indonesian Ambassador to Romania and Moldova Amhar Azeth and Indonesian candidate for Member of the RRB Meiditomo Sutyarjoko were also present at the event.

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Translator: Katriana
Editor: Sri Haryati
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