Merah Putih 2 Satellite Successfully Launched from Cape Canaveral Florida
Florida, USA, February 20, 2024 – PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom), along with its subsidiary, Telkomsat, has successfully launched the Merah Putih 2 Satellite directly from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday (2/20) at 15:11 local time or Wednesday (2/21) at 03:11 Western Indonesian Time. The Merah Putih 2 is the 11th satellite and also the first TelkomGroup satellite that utilizes High Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology, also known as broadband satellite. This satellite was launched using a Falcon 9 rocket and will occupy the 113 degrees East longitude orbital slot.
"Thank God, the Merah Putih 2 Satellite has been successfully launched today smoothly. This is an important milestone for TelkomGroup, especially in supporting the equalization of connectivity access throughout Indonesia, even in 3T areas. The presence of the Merah Putih 2 Satellite also strengthens the satellite business portfolio of TelkomGroup by Telkomsat," said CEO of Telkom Indonesia, Ririek Adriansyah, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
With a capacity of up to 32Gbps, the Merah Putih 2 carries active transponders in C-band and Ku-band frequencies, which will cover the entire area of Indonesia. As a country in the equatorial region with high rainfall, this satellite is expected to be the most reliable HTS or broadband satellite in Indonesia. This is due to the combination of both frequencies it possesses, where the C-Band frequency performs best against rainfall.
The satellite uses the Spacebus 4000B2 platform with a designed lifespan of 15 years and was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space as the main contractor responsible for the design, construction, testing, and delivery of the satellite to the launch site. Moreover, the renowned French satellite manufacturing company is also responsible for the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP), the initial phase of the satellite after leaving the launch rocket until it reaches the desired orbital slot at 113 BT, and the in-orbit tests (IOT) phase, which is the performance testing phase of the satellite once it is in its orbital slot. Thales Alenia Space will provide full support for the satellite control system from the ground control station and will also train Telkomsat to be ready in operating this broadband satellite throughout its lifespan.
Director of Wholesale & International Service PT Telkom Indonesia, Bogi Witjaksono, stated that there are at least three missions that Merah Putih 2 aims to achieve, namely to enhance the resilience of national digital infrastructure to support the equalization of connectivity across Indonesia, to secure and maintain Indonesia's orbital slot at 113 BT, and to strengthen the satellite business portfolio through an internal capacity increase from 10 Gbps (Telkom 3S Satellite and Merah Putih Satellite) to 42.4 Gbps.
Furthermore, CEO of Telkomsat, Lukman Hakim Abd Rauf, added that HTS technology is designed to cover small but numerous areas on Earth (multi-spots beam), thus capable of generating strong satellite transmission power in an area covered by the beam. The transmission power of the satellite is synonymous with the amount of data that can be sent by the satellite to that location. "This broadband satellite allows for reusable frequency resources, which has the potential to increase the capacity of HTS satellites," explained Lukman.
Regarding the process of selecting partners and procuring satellites, Lukman emphasized that it was conducted in accordance with compliance principles and good corporate governance. Additionally, from a business perspective, the selection process also considered the lowest cost per Gbps, resulting in a satellite with greater capacity at a competitive selling price.
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"Thank God, the Merah Putih 2 Satellite has been successfully launched today smoothly. This is an important milestone for TelkomGroup, especially in supporting the equalization of connectivity access throughout Indonesia, even in 3T areas. The presence of the Merah Putih 2 Satellite also strengthens the satellite business portfolio of TelkomGroup by Telkomsat," said CEO of Telkom Indonesia, Ririek Adriansyah, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
With a capacity of up to 32Gbps, the Merah Putih 2 carries active transponders in C-band and Ku-band frequencies, which will cover the entire area of Indonesia. As a country in the equatorial region with high rainfall, this satellite is expected to be the most reliable HTS or broadband satellite in Indonesia. This is due to the combination of both frequencies it possesses, where the C-Band frequency performs best against rainfall.
The satellite uses the Spacebus 4000B2 platform with a designed lifespan of 15 years and was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space as the main contractor responsible for the design, construction, testing, and delivery of the satellite to the launch site. Moreover, the renowned French satellite manufacturing company is also responsible for the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP), the initial phase of the satellite after leaving the launch rocket until it reaches the desired orbital slot at 113 BT, and the in-orbit tests (IOT) phase, which is the performance testing phase of the satellite once it is in its orbital slot. Thales Alenia Space will provide full support for the satellite control system from the ground control station and will also train Telkomsat to be ready in operating this broadband satellite throughout its lifespan.
Director of Wholesale & International Service PT Telkom Indonesia, Bogi Witjaksono, stated that there are at least three missions that Merah Putih 2 aims to achieve, namely to enhance the resilience of national digital infrastructure to support the equalization of connectivity across Indonesia, to secure and maintain Indonesia's orbital slot at 113 BT, and to strengthen the satellite business portfolio through an internal capacity increase from 10 Gbps (Telkom 3S Satellite and Merah Putih Satellite) to 42.4 Gbps.
Furthermore, CEO of Telkomsat, Lukman Hakim Abd Rauf, added that HTS technology is designed to cover small but numerous areas on Earth (multi-spots beam), thus capable of generating strong satellite transmission power in an area covered by the beam. The transmission power of the satellite is synonymous with the amount of data that can be sent by the satellite to that location. "This broadband satellite allows for reusable frequency resources, which has the potential to increase the capacity of HTS satellites," explained Lukman.
Regarding the process of selecting partners and procuring satellites, Lukman emphasized that it was conducted in accordance with compliance principles and good corporate governance. Additionally, from a business perspective, the selection process also considered the lowest cost per Gbps, resulting in a satellite with greater capacity at a competitive selling price.
The Merah Putih 2 Satellite is scheduled to be ready for service in April 2024 and will be utilized to help digital equalization in Indonesia through the provision of satellite-based backhaul services, develop Indonesia's maritime business, and support data sovereignty by reducing reliance on foreign satellite capacity.
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