PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin) and PT Citranet Sarana Digital (Citra Connect) have broken ground on a cable landing station (CLS) in Nongsa, Indonesia.

Located within the Nongsa Digital Park in the Batam region, the landing station will form a key part of the Indonesia Cable Express (ICE) system.

The pair first announced plans to partner in September 2023 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The ICE system comprises seven subsea cables and is part of Telin’s initiative to improve digital infrastructure in the country. The cable landing station is expected to land four of these cables once complete.

Telin added that the ICE system will establish links to other major cities in Indonesia, and neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia.

“By enhancing Batam’s role as a primary gateway for global connectivity, we are one step closer in realizing Telkom Group's vision in creating a robust foundation for the development of data centers in Batam and beyond. This effort aligns seamlessly with Telkom’s efforts in becoming a key player in the data center ecosystem, enabling Indonesia to thrive as a leader in the global digital economy,” said Bogi Witjaksono, CEO of Telkom Indonesia.

Founded in 2007, Telin is a Telkom Indonesia subsidiary, operating in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, the US, Timor Leste, the UAE, and Myanmar. The company currently has more than 250,000km of cable.

Most recently, Telin broke ground on a CLS outside Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Citra Connect is an Indonesian connectivity provider, developing an access network for carriers and enterprise customers.

Currently, Batam is home to 12 subsea cables, including JaSuKa, SEAX-1, and Matrix, with four more expected to land in the coming years. The majority of these cables land at the Tanjung Bemban CLS.