Satellite communication provider PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), in cooperation with telecommunication service provider PT Indosat Ooredoo and another telecommunication company, PT Pintar Nusantara Sejahtera (PNS), plans to launch a newly built satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan province later this month.
The Nusantara Dua satellite, built by China Great Wall Industry Corporation, would replace the Palapa-D satellite to serve broadband internet access and high-quality broadcasting services, PSN said in a statement.
"We hope Nusantara Dua will further strengthen the position of the PSN business group as a major and leading player in the Indonesian satellite industry," PSN president director Adi Rahman said in the statement.
PSN, Indosat Ooredoo and PNS established a joint venture called PT Palapa Satelit Nusa Sejahtera (PSNS) in 2017 to buy the satellite from the Chinese satellite maker. PSNS will operate the new satellite.
"The Nusantara Dua satellite program is our long-term program, and it is a form of the company's commitment to customers throughout Indonesia," PSNS president director Johanes Indri Prijatmodjo said.
Johanes said the Nusantara Dua satellite would replace Indosat Ooredoo’s Palapa-D satellite located at 113 East Longitude (BT).
The Nusantara Dua, which weighs 5,550 kilograms, will have a capacity of 20x36 MHz C-band FSS transponders and 9.5 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) HTS. The satellite can cover regions throughout Asia Pacific and to Australia for C-band transponders and throughout Indonesia for HTS.
Meanwhile, the chief business officer of Indosat Ooredoo, Bayu Hanantasena, said, "We are committed to continuing to provide the best telecommunication services for business customers.”
In line with Indosat Ooredoo's three-year strategy to make business-to-business services a new growth engine, the Nusantara Dua would further expand Indosat Ooredoo’s business portfolio, he added.
According to Johanes, the satellite with a lifetime of up to 15 years has the same technology as its predecessor, the Nusantara Satu, which carries the Classic Fixed Satellite Service in Cband and HTS in Ku-band. “With that, satellites are more efficient while still adding value to link reliability. This satellite can also be used for VSAT, broadcast, broadband, backbone, and backhaul, Johannes said.
"We hope the launch will go smoothly, so that it is estimated that in June 2020, it will be ready to serve the community,” Johanes said.