"The construction of the undersea optic fiber networks will be completed in 2013."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State telecommunications operator PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk has begun a tender for the construction of 5,600 km undersea optic fiber networks connecting Manado to Papua.
"A tender for the construction of the second phase of the Palapa Ring project is underway. Hopefully, an e-auction for the project will be conducted in one or two months," Telkom President Director Rinaldi Firmansyah said on the sidelines of the company`s strategic exposure in the business portfolio, Telecommunication Information, Media and Edutaintment (TIME), here Tuesday.
Four companies were taking part in the tender and only one or two of them would later be chosen as tender winners, he said.
"Hopefully, the construction of the undersea optic fiber networks will be completed in 2013," he said.
The construction of optic fiber networks was part of the company`s efforts to connect all parts of the country through several rings, he said.
But he stopped short of revealing the names of the four companies.
He said the companies were involved in the construction of the first phase of the Palapa Ring project.
Huawei Marine, optic fiber provider based in China, was one of the companies taking part in the first phase of the project.
The second phase of the Palapa Ring project which will cost an estimated Rp2.4 trillion will connect Manado, capital of North Sulawesi province, to Papua, via Ternate, Halmahera, Ambon, Fak-fak, Timika and Sorong.
The construction of the first phase of the Palapa Ring project called Mataram-Kupang Cable System (MKCS) which covered 1,041 km cost Rp600 billion.
(Uu.S012/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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