Damage to the Merauke-Timika marine network is being addressed

The Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) announced that the damage to the communication network on the Marine Cable Communication System (SKKL) in the Merauke to Timika area is being taken seriously.

According to the Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G. Plate, the repair of the damage to the SKKL is targeted to be completed by the end of May 2022 and will be carried out directly by PT Telkom Indonesia.

"We estimate that the ship for repairs will soon depart for Merauke and complete the repair of the marine cable network in Merauke-Timika. The repair is expected to be completed on May 26 before the end of this month," Johnny said at his press conference at the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, Tuesday.

PT Telkom said that the repair of the SKKL in Merauke-Timika requires specific ship specifications for the deployment and repair of submarine cables such as the DNEX Pacific Link (DPL), but the number is limited.
 
Currently there is only one DPL ship, and it has just been used to repair the Jakarta-Surabaya SKKL which had problems and only finished repairing on May 6, 2022.

The DPL ship is also currently under maintenance with details on refueling, filling logistics for the crew, and other preparations to ensure a smooth next trip.

The DPL ship is scheduled to sail from Batam to Merauke on Wednesday (11/5) and is expected to arrive at its destination on May 21, 2022.

The ship will transit first for checking at the port and will only start carrying out repairs on May 23, 2022.

After that, the work on reconnecting the interrupted SKKL is estimated to last for three days if the weather is sunny and other natural conditions such as wind support, thus the target for repairing the Merauke-Papua SKKL falls on May 26, 2022.
 
"In the context of transparency, Kominfo and PT Telkom openly conveyed to the public while at the same time conveying to the public that efforts to maintain Indonesia's main telecommunications network from time to time are a major concern. We always provide task forces to maintain better telecommunications services , said Johnny.

As for the disconnection of the Merauke-Timika SKKL, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics estimates that people in the area will lose 42 GB of access to the internet network and of course end up experiencing difficulties in accessing telecommunications.

Adjustments and provision of backup networks were also carried out but adjusted to priority needs.

SOURCE : https://www.antaranews.com/berita/2871541/kerusakan-jaringan-laut-merauke-timika-sedang-ditangani