Palapa Ring Middle

Palapa Ring Middle: A Key Component of Indonesia's Connectivity Initiative

The Palapa Ring Middle is a submarine cable system spanning approximately 2,100 kilometers, connecting multiple islands in Indonesia. It is part of the broader Palapa Ring project, a government-led initiative aimed at improving telecommunications infrastructure across the archipelago. Officially recorded as ready for service in 2018, the cable is currently listed as in service and plays a significant role in bridging the digital divide in Indonesia's central and eastern regions. What makes the Palapa Ring Middle particularly interesting is the lack of publicly disclosed technical details such as design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and technology. This opacity makes it challenging to assess the cable's full capabilities. Additionally, its extensive list of landing points highlights the complexity of connecting remote and often underserved areas of Indonesia, a country known for its challenging geography.

Quick facts

Cable name	Palapa Ring Middle
Length	2,100 km
Ready for Service (RFS)	2018 (GeoCables database value; conflicting industry sources not surfaced)
Owner	Indonesian Government
Status	In service
Design capacity	Not disclosed
Fiber pairs	Not disclosed
Supplier	Not disclosed
Technology	Not disclosed
Landing points	Bangga, Baubau, Buranga, Kendari, Lakudo, Luwuk, Manado, Melonguane, Morotai, Ondong Siau, Raha, Salakan, Sanana, Sofifi, Tahuna, Taliabu, Ternate, Tidore, Tobelo, Wawonii (all in Indonesia)

Show Palapa Ring Middle on the interactive cable map

Route

The Palapa Ring Middle connects 19 landing points across Indonesia, including major hubs like Manado and Kendari as well as smaller, remote locations such as Tahuna and Sanana. The corridor traverses the central and eastern parts of the country, linking islands in Sulawesi, the Maluku Islands, and surrounding regions. This route is particularly significant for connecting remote communities to the national and global telecommunications network.

Why it was built and what it carries

The Palapa Ring Middle was constructed as part of Indonesia's effort to improve digital connectivity across its vast archipelago. Many of the islands served by this cable previously had limited or no access to high-speed internet, making the cable an essential infrastructure for education, commerce, and government services. While specific details about its capacity and the types of traffic it carries are not publicly disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that the cable supports internet, voice, and data services for both residential and enterprise users.

History: what can be established

The GeoCables database lists the Palapa Ring Middle as ready for service in 2018, and this date aligns with the timeline of the broader Palapa Ring project, which aimed to be fully operational by that year. However, no conflicting industry sources have been identified to suggest a different RFS date. The cable's development was part of a government initiative to address the digital divide in Indonesia, funded and managed by the Indonesian Government.

Capacity and technology

Publicly available information does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technology used in the Palapa Ring Middle. Without operator documentation, any attempt to estimate these parameters would be speculative. The cable's role in connecting remote areas suggests that it is designed to handle moderate traffic loads typical of underserved regions, but this cannot be confirmed without further data.

Latency: the physics

The theoretical one-way latency for light propagation over the cable's 2,100 km length is approximately 10.3 milliseconds, while the round-trip time (RTT) floor is around 20.6 milliseconds. These calculations assume optimal conditions with light traveling at 200,000 to 204,000 km/s in fiber. However, real-world latency is higher due to additional factors such as land-based routing, terminal equipment delays, and internet path inefficiencies. Live measurements from remote probes provide insights into end-to-end latency for traffic involving Tahuna, one of the cable's landing points. For example, Singapore to Tahuna shows a minimum RTT of 61.1 ms, which is significantly higher than the theoretical floor due to the inclusion of terrestrial network segments and routing complexity. Other global routes like Sydney to Tahuna (157.3 ms) and Sao Paulo to Tahuna (432.9 ms) further illustrate the impact of broader internet infrastructure on latency.

Redundancy: what happens if it breaks

The Palapa Ring Middle shares landing points with several other cables, providing potential redundancy in the event of a failure. For example, Baubau is also served by the Indonesia Tengah Cable Systems, while Kendari connects to multiple systems including Barat Timur Indonesia-2 (BTI-2) and SMPCS Packet-1. Manado, a major hub, is linked to cables such as Asia Connect Cable-1 (ACC-1) and the Indonesia Global Gateway (IGG) System. These overlapping networks enhance resilience but do not eliminate the logistical challenges of repairing a submarine cable in remote areas. Standard industry practices for submarine cable repair include the deployment of specialized cable ships equipped with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for locating and fixing faults. Repairs can take weeks depending on the severity of the damage and environmental conditions.

Bottom line

• The Palapa Ring Middle spans 2,100 km and connects 19 landing points across Indonesia.
• It was recorded as ready for service in 2018, with no conflicting dates identified.
• Owned by the Indonesian Government, it is part of a national initiative to improve digital connectivity.
• Key technical details such as design capacity and fiber pairs are not publicly disclosed.
• Theoretical latency is approximately 10.3 ms one-way, but real-world measurements are significantly higher.
• Redundancy is supported by overlapping cable systems at major landing points.