SMPCS Packet-1

Overview

SMPCS Packet-1 is a domestic submarine cable system serving Indonesia, spanning a total length of 3,156 kilometres. The cable connects multiple cities across the eastern Indonesian archipelago, linking the Maluku and North Maluku island groups with ports in Sulawesi and West Papua. As an entirely intra-Indonesian system, it supports connectivity among island communities that are difficult to serve by terrestrial infrastructure.

Route and Landings

All twelve landing points on SMPCS Packet-1 are located within Indonesia. In Sulawesi, the cable reaches Manado and Kendari. In the Maluku province, landings are made at Ambon, Masohi, Namlea, Bandaneira, Sanana, and Fakfak. In North Maluku, the cable serves Ternate, Labuha, and Sofifi. The western tip of Papua is connected via a landing at Sorong.

Ownership and Operators

SMPCS Packet-1 is owned solely by Telkom Indonesia. Telkom Indonesia is the state-owned telecommunications company of Indonesia and the country's largest provider of fixed-line and broadband services, with an extensive domestic infrastructure footprint across the archipelago.

Status and Timeline

SMPCS Packet-1 entered service in 2015 and currently operates as an active submarine cable system connecting its twelve Indonesian landing points.

Regional Context

Within Indonesia, SMPCS Packet-1 operates alongside a number of much longer international cable systems that include Indonesian landings. Systems such as Bifrost, Echo, and Apricot — each exceeding 10,000 kilometres — are designed to carry traffic between Indonesia and international destinations across the Asia-Pacific and beyond. SMPCS Packet-1 serves a distinctly different purpose: at 3,156 kilometres, it is focused entirely on domestic inter-island connectivity in eastern Indonesia rather than international transit. Several of the international cables sharing Indonesian territory are slated for completion between 2025 and 2029, reflecting continued investment in Indonesia's submarine cable ecosystem.

Strategic Role

SMPCS Packet-1 provides direct submarine cable connections to twelve island communities spread across eastern Indonesia, a region where the sea separating Sulawesi, the Maluku islands, North Maluku, and West Papua makes overland connectivity impractical. By landing in cities such as Sofifi, Labuha, Bandaneira, and Fakfak — locations with limited alternative connectivity options — the cable supports telecommunications access across one of the most geographically dispersed sections of the Indonesian archipelago.