JAKARTA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- People in eastern Indonesia can now enjoy high-speed internet connection following the completion of the east package of the Palapa Ring project.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday conducted the operational launch of the 21.6 trillion rupiah (1.5 billion U.S. dollars) Palapa Ring project in the state palace.
Calling the project a "highway in the sky," Widodo said the Palapa Ring is expected to "bring justice to all Indonesian citizens from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote, to have an equal chance of accessing advanced technology and high-speed connectivity."
The Palapa Ring is the country's fiber optic development program aiming to bring internet connectivity to 5.8 million citizens in 57 cities and regencies using some 12,000 km of fiber optic cable and 55 microwave link hops.
It is one of the country's public private partnership projects.
The west and central packages of the Palapa Ring project have been in operation since last year.
