The Batam Sarawak International Cable System (BaSIC) subsea cable has been launched and will strengthen internet connections between Batam, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia. The 700m system connects Sarawak, Malaysia and Batam, Indonesia, which is then connected via land cable to Pontianak in West Kalimantan.
The project started in 2020 and became operational on 1 June 2022. This cable system is an additional alternative international gateway for Indonesia to Kuching, Sarawak and Hong Kong and supports XL Axiata’s efforts to add new upstream international capacity to Indonesia.
BaSIC will deliver 6 fibre pairs offering an initial capacity 2Tbs, which will be gradually increased until it arrives at a maximum capacity of 48Tbs. The project is part of XL Axiata’s mission to provide infrastructure for better global internet access as well as to support the Indonesian government’s goal to encourage the use of digital technology.