Internet Down in Papua Due to Maintenance; Businesses Suffer
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5 May 2021 15:18 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The internet service in Papua, especially in the region of Jayapura and its nearby areas, has experienced connection issues since Friday, April 30, due to maintenance of the region's underwater optical cable system.
According to the Papuan Archeology Hall employee Hari Suroto, this problem greatly affected the region’s transportation and online businesses that heavily rely on the internet connection, such as local ride-hailing app services.
“Especially for MSMEs in local marketplaces that endured significant financial losses,” Suroto explained in a text message on Tuesday, May 4.
Mobile phone services are currently limited to sending text messages and making phone calls, which Suroto explained would often fail, most of the time.
He hopes that it can be fixed soon and they can find another solution for the use of underwater optical cable systems. Papua will soon host the National Games or PON XX that will surely see increased public activities that rely on internet connection.
When asked about this major issue, the General Manager Network Operation & Quality Management of Telkomsel in Maluku and Papua, Adi Wibowo only said that the prolonged internet connection problem is mainly due to the maintenance of the Sulawesi Maluku Papua Cable System (SMPCS) PT Telkom of Biak-Sarmi line.
Wibowo assures that the internet service provider will swiftly complete the maintenance and apologizes for the inconvenience felt by residents in Jayapura and its vicinity.
Read: Internet in Papua Disrupted Due to Disconnection at Submarine Cable
MOH KHORY ALFARIZI