JAKARTA: Indonesia has launched its Satria-1 satellite to revolutionise internet connectivity and bridge digital divide, its acting Communications and Informatics Minister Mahfud Md said.
The satellite was successfully launched into orbit by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States on June 18 at 6.21 pm local time (5.21 am western Indonesia time) today.
Mahfud in a statement said the satellite, which will start operating in January next year, provides improved internet quality to rural parts of the country.
“Satria-1 will address the need for internet access, especially for educational, health and government services including defence and security in various regions, particularly the remote areas,” he said.
The satellite is manufactured by Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture by the French technology corporation Thales Group and Italian defence conglomerate Leonardo, headquartered in France.
“Satria-1 is Asia’s first government-owned multifunctional satellite with the largest capacity,” according to President Joko Widodo, adding that it is orbiting 146° east longitude above the Papua province.
The satellite, weighing 4.5 tonnes has bandwidth capacity of 150 gigabits per second, reportedly costs US$540 million and has a lifespan of 15 years. – BERNAMA
