By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- Indonesia launched its Nusantara Five satellite from Cape Canaveral, United States, on Thursday at around 7 pm local time using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry said.
The 160-gigabit-per-second (Gbps) satellite, Southeast Asia’s largest, will occupy a strategic orbital slot at 113° East, covering the entire archipelago and boosting connectivity in eastern regions.
Minister Meutya Hafid said the launch aims to ensure equal access to education, healthcare, and digital opportunities, and forms a key part of Indonesia’s digital transformation programme.
“Children in Maluku and Papua will have the same access to education as those in Jakarta, patients on remote islands can consult top doctors, and our small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete digitally,” she said in a statement.
Nusantara Five is owned by PT Satelit Nusantara Lima, a subsidiary of PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, in partnership with Boeing Satellite Systems, Hughes Network Systems, and SpaceX.
The launch follows Palapa A1 in 1976, Nusantara Satu in 2019 and SATRIA-1 in 2023.
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