Merah Putih 2 Satellite Successfully Launched from Cape Canaveral

Guntal.com - PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (Telkom) together with its subsidiary, Telkomsat, has launched Merah Putih 2 Satellite, the first broadband satellite in Indonesia, on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 03.11 WIB. The launch was conducted from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

Merah Putih 2 is TelkomGroup's 11th satellite as well as TelkomGroup's first satellite to use High Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology or also known as satellite broadband.

The satellite will occupy an orbital slot of 113 degrees East Longitude (113 BT) and have a capacity of up to 32Gbps. The satellite also carries active transponders of C-band and Ku-band frequencies, which will cover all areas of Indonesia.

President Director of Telkom, Ririek Adriansyah, said that the launch of this satellite is an important milestone for TelkomGroup in supporting the realization of equitable access to connectivity throughout Indonesia, especially in remote and outermost areas. "The existence of the Merah Putih 2 Satellite is also the foundation that strengthens TelkomGroup's satellite business portfolio run by Telkomsat," he said.

The Merah Putih 2 satellite was built by Thales Alenia Space, a leading French satellite manufacturing company, which is also responsible for the design, construction, testing and delivery of the satellite to the launch site. Thales Alenia Space will also provide full support to the satellite control system from the control station as well as train Telkomsat to be ready to operate the satellite throughout the life of the satellite.

This satellite is expected to be the most reliable HTS satellite or broadband satellite in Indonesia, because of the combination of the two frequencies owned, namely C-Band and Ku-Band. The C-Band frequency is the frequency that has the best performance against rainfall, while the Ku-Band frequency is the frequency that has a larger capacity.

This satellite will also support the development of digital business in Indonesia, by providing high-quality, fast, and affordable internet services to the public. In addition, this satellite will also support government programs in the fields of education, health, agriculture, fisheries, and others. (Way)