"PRI is a national strategic project (PSN) that aims to integrate the (existing) western, central, and eastern Palapa Ring backbone network end-to-end to increase the utilization of the existing Palapa Ring (PRE)," head of the Papua Communication and Information Office, Jeri A. Yudianto, said here on Tuesday.
The PRI development is based on Ministerial Regulation No. 9 of 2022 concerning amendments to Ministerial Regulation No. 7 of 2021 on changes in the list of national strategic projects, he informed.
According to Yudianto, the development of Palapa Ring Integration will eliminate the digital divide in Indonesia, especially in Papua.
"As it connects 14 provinces and 78 districts/cities as well as 129 serviced cities with an 11,610 km fiber optical network and 46 hops microwave links," he said.
PRI passes through the southern Papua region and it must be paid attention to by the central government and the local government to advance the digital world in Indonesia, he added.
"PRI in Papua, with the project codes P-34 and P-28, starts from Serui to Sawai, then to Teba and Sarmi, and continues to Jayapura, while P-17 starts from Keppi, then Bade to Merauke," he revealed.
Yudianto said that the existence of PRI in Papua is expected to increase Internet bandwidth capacity in each area covered by the network.
Palapa Ring Integration is also expected to be a contingency link in the northern region of Papua island, which often experiences cut-offs because of "ring looping" from Jayapura to Serui and out of Papua.
Related news: Communication Ministry promotes Palapa Ring Integration development
Related news: Ministry builds 12,100-km-long Palapa Ring fiber optic network
Translator: Qadri P, Kenzu
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
