Telkomsel says double shunt fault disrupts broadband services in Papua

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Telkomsel announced on Saturday that a double shunt fault has disrupted broadband services in parts of Papua following damage to a section of the Sulawesi-Maluku-Papua undersea cable system between Sorong and Merauke.

The fault occurred around 06.00 a.m. local time at two points near Sorong and Merauke, with depths ranging between 50 and 500 metres, according to the subsidiary of state-owned Telkom Indonesia.

Speaking to journalists here, Telkomsel’s Maluku and Papua Network Operations and Productivity General Manager Yasrinaldi apologized to the company’s customers for the service degradation.

“The cause of the fault is still under investigation,” Yasrinaldi said, adding that the disruption has affected broadband quality in several areas of southern Papua, including Merauke, Timika and Kaimana.

Meanwhile, Amin Soebagyo, the executive vice president of Telkom’s Regional V, said the company regretted the inconvenience, and has been making utmost efforts to restore services as quickly as possible.

“We understand how vital digital connectivity is, especially in southern Papua, and our teams are working to accelerate service recovery,” Soebagyo said while unveiling an initial measure to ensure essential services.

Telkom, he said, has activated limited-capacity backup routes and applied service prioritisation to ensure such essential services as voice calls and SMS remain operational.

Recovery efforts also include traffic management, additional capacity via the Palapa Ring East network and satellite links, and the deployment of a specialised repair vessel, he said.

Telkom said it would continue to provide updates and remains committed to maintaining stable digital communications for the public, Soebagyo added.

ANTARA has reported on repeated disruptions in telecommunication services in Papua over the past few years.

In 2021, for instance, PT Telkom encountered an undersea fiber optic cable breakage that occurred about 700 kilometers away from the waters off Sarmi District, Papua Province.

The cable break disrupted this telecommunication giant’s services in Jayapura City and the districts of Jayapura and Sarmi, but its customers in the southern parts of Papua Province did not get affected.

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