Telkomsat boosts connectivity across Indonesia with new satellite launch

Telkomsat, the satellite service subsidiary of Telkom Indonesia, is set to boost connectivity across the country particularly in remote places that terrestrial networks cannot reach with the impending launch of its eleventh satellite – the first of its fleet equipped with High Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology.

The Merah Putih 2 satellite is set for lift off tomorrow (February 21 in Indonesia's time zone) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, riding on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It will be transported and placed in the 113 degrees East Longitude (113 BT) orbital slot.

The satellite has a capacity of up to 32 Gbit/s across C-band and Ku-band frequencies that can reach all areas of Indonesia.

"The Merah Putih 2 satellite is a manifestation of Telkom's commitment to support equitable connectivity throughout Indonesia, complementing our land and sea infrastructure. That equitable access to information is expected to accelerate the digitalization of society in various aspects,'' said Telkom's president director, Ririek Adriansyah.

Thales Alenia Space built the satellite at a reported cost of 3.8 trillion Indonesian rupiah (US$242.8 million) using a Spacebus 4000B2 platform with a lifespan of 15 years.

Bolstering its satellite business portfolio

Telkom and Telkomsat see the launch of the Merah Putih 2 as an opportunity to strengthen their satellite business portfolio.

"The potential of the backhaul business targeted by this satellite is projected to be very positive. This can be seen from the enthusiasm of prospective corporate customers and VSAT operators who want to use the satellite service,'' said Ririek.

HTS/VHST satellites such as the Merah Putih 2 are designed to provide significantly higher data transmission capacity compared to traditional satellites. They typically feature reconfigurable payloads that enable operators to adapt to changing demands, coverage requirements, or traffic patterns. They can also support a greater number of users and cover larger geographic areas, making them well-suited to provide broadband connectivity to remote or underserved regions.

Furthermore, the higher data rates and capacities provided by HTS/VHST satellites improve user experiences, particularly for data-intensive applications like video streaming, telemedicine and cloud-based services.