Barat Timur Indonesia-2 (BTI-2)

Overview

The Barat Timur Indonesia-2 (BTI-2) is a domestic submarine cable system spanning 11,600 kilometers across the Indonesian archipelago. It is designed to enhance digital connectivity within Indonesia, a country characterized by its vast archipelagic geography. Owned and operated by Super Sistem (PT Super Sistem Data), BTI-2 is a critical infrastructure for ensuring reliable communication and data exchange between multiple regions. This cable system supports Indonesia’s growing demand for internet and telecommunications services, playing a vital role in bridging the digital divide and fostering economic development across the nation.

BTI-2 is part of Indonesia’s broader efforts to strengthen its digital infrastructure and improve connectivity in underserved regions. As a domestic cable, it complements international systems that link Indonesia to neighboring countries, ensuring robust internal networks while contributing to the country’s strategic position in Southeast Asia’s telecommunications landscape.

Route and Landings

The BTI-2 cable connects ten key landing points across Indonesia, reflecting the country's geographic complexity and its need for widespread connectivity. These landing points are Banjarmasin, Batam, Jeneponto, Kendari, Luwuk, Manado, Pantai Mutiara, Pontianak, Semarang, and Singaraja. Each of these locations represents a significant regional hub, ensuring that the cable system serves a broad swath of Indonesia’s population and economic centers.

Geographically, the cable traverses a variety of seas and coastal environments, including the Java Sea, the Makassar Strait, and the Celebes Sea. These waters are vital for Indonesia's maritime economy and are home to some of the world's busiest shipping routes. By connecting cities like Batam, a major industrial and trade hub near Singapore, and Manado, a gateway to eastern Indonesia, BTI-2 facilitates both local and regional connectivity. The inclusion of landing points such as Semarang and Pontianak further ensures coverage across Java and Borneo, two of Indonesia’s most populous islands.

Strategically, the cable’s route reflects Indonesia’s priorities in linking urban centers and remote areas, ensuring equitable access to digital services. This infrastructure is crucial for supporting economic activities, education, and communication in a country with over 17,000 islands.

Ownership and History

The Barat Timur Indonesia-2 (BTI-2) cable is owned and operated by Super Sistem (PT Super Sistem Data), an Indonesian telecommunications company. As the sole proprietor, Super Sistem oversees the cable’s maintenance and operation, ensuring its reliability and performance. While specific historical milestones of BTI-2 are not documented, its deployment aligns with Indonesia’s broader efforts to expand domestic digital infrastructure in response to increasing demand for connectivity.

Indonesia’s telecommunications sector has seen significant growth in recent years, driven by a rapidly expanding population and a surge in internet usage. Super Sistem’s role in developing and managing BTI-2 highlights the company’s contribution to addressing these demands. By focusing on domestic connectivity, BTI-2 complements international cables and strengthens Indonesia’s internal network, which is essential for supporting economic development and improving access to digital services across the archipelago.

BTI-2 is part of a larger ecosystem of submarine cables that collectively enhance Indonesia’s digital resilience. As an archipelagic nation, Indonesia relies heavily on such infrastructure to connect its diverse regions, making cables like BTI-2 indispensable for national development.

What Our Measurements Show

Our monitoring of the Barat Timur Indonesia-2 cable reveals performance metrics across 15 measured corridors. The best round-trip time (RTT) recorded is 61 milliseconds, while the average RTT across all corridors stands at 254 milliseconds. These measurements indicate a reliable and efficient network, though latency may vary depending on the specific route and traffic conditions.

The cable’s performance is particularly significant given Indonesia’s geographic challenges, including its dispersed islands and varied terrain. The ability to achieve low RTTs in certain corridors demonstrates the cable’s capacity to support high-speed communication, which is essential for modern applications such as video conferencing, cloud computing, and e-commerce.

BTI-2’s measurements underscore its role in providing stable connectivity for both urban centers and remote regions. By ensuring consistent data transfer speeds, the cable supports critical services and economic activities across Indonesia, contributing to the nation’s digital transformation and regional integration.