News
Teleteaching Test via the Palapa Ring Network
Timika | April 30, 2019
Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara tested the use of the Palapa Ring fiber optic cable network for educational purposes. From Pomako Elementary School in Timika, Papua, Rudiantara witnessed a teleteaching activity involving 90 elementary school teachers in Ranai, Natuna, Riau Islands, Timika, Papua, and Trilogi University, Kalibata, South Jakarta.
"Through the fiber optic network, video connections from Timika, Natuna, and Jakarta are very smooth. Utilization of this infrastructure is expected to accelerate the equitable distribution of educational quality in the country," said Rudiantara after witnessing the trial on Tuesday (April 30, 2019).
According to Minister Rudiantara, currently there are more than 200,000 public schools, 90,000 of which do not have fast internet connections. With the Palapa Ring, it is hoped that hundreds of thousands of schools spread from Sabang to Merauke will receive equitable quality education.
"Distance teaching or teleteaching is inevitable. The West and Central Palapa Rings are 100 percent complete and have been operational since 2018. The East Palapa Ring is 96 percent complete. This weekend, the Multifunction Satellite project, which specifically provides fast internet, will begin. Once operational, all regions will be connected, and God willing, all schools will be able to enjoy fast internet," said Rudiantara.
The Minister of Communication and Informatics stated that the Palapa Ring Project is intended to provide benefits to the community by providing an internet network that will eventually reach all regions of Indonesia.
"The utilization of the Palapa Ring network developed by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics is intended for the benefit of the wider community, including supporting the distance learning world being implemented today," said Rudiantara.
Rudiantara hopes that the availability of an internet network that connects one region to another will also support the program national education, where teaching and educational programs for teachers and students can be implemented without face-to-face meetings but through a network connection.
The Palapa Ring project is currently approximately 96 percent complete. The remaining project, the East Palapa Ring, is targeted for completion in mid-2019 and will soon be fully integrated with the West and Central Palapa Rings.
During the trial period, Minister Rudiantara has targeted full integration by August 17th.
"If it's completed in June-July, then it's before August 17th. So, it's still mid-year," Rudiantara concluded.**
News & photo source:
Kominfo
