In the dense, congested corridors of Jakarta, where the physical act of laying fiber optic cable can be stalled for months by bureaucracy and concrete, a new approach to connectivity is taking hold. Primacom has successfully deployed a Primacom deploys laser link for Jakarta 10 Gbps backbone, utilizing wireless laser technology to bypass the traditional hurdles of urban infrastructure.
The deployment, powered by Transcelestial, established a 10 Gbps backbone connection in less than a day. The installation was targeted at a restricted commercial area near Primacom’s data center—a site where conventional fiber trenching was deemed impossible and existing radio-based wireless solutions had failed to meet the required performance standards.
By utilizing a direct line of sight over a distance of less than one kilometer, the system was integrated into Primacom’s existing network architecture without the need for disruptive civil works. This shift toward optical wireless communication addresses a critical pain point for telecommunications providers in Southeast Asia’s most populous cities, where the “last mile” of connectivity is often the most expensive and slowest to implement.
Overcoming the “Fiber Friction” in Jakarta
For operators in Jakarta, the challenge of network expansion is rarely about the technology itself, but rather the environment in which it must be installed. The city’s dense urban fabric creates a high-friction environment for fixed-line expansion. Securing permits for digging can be a complex, multi-month ordeal, and the cost of underground fiber installation rises sharply in heavily built-up commercial districts.
This environment has created a strategic opening for the CENTAURI system from Transcelestial. Unlike traditional microwave links, which can suffer from interference and bandwidth limitations, this system uses laser light to transmit data through the air. This allows operators to connect buildings or network nodes as if they were connected by a physical cable, but without the need to break ground.
Dinesh Kummaran of Transcelestial highlighted the stark contrast between traditional civil works and laser deployment. “In cities like Jakarta, every kilometer of fiber trenching can take months of paperwork,” Kummaran said. “It should not take quarters to remove that friction. Lasers can connect the hardest sites in days.”
Performance Metrics and Technical Validation
The deployment was not merely a proof-of-concept but a rigorous 30-day operational trial. According to data released by the companies, the laser link maintained a high level of stability and speed, even under challenging environmental conditions. Notably, the system sustained its 10 Gbps throughput during periods of heavy rainfall, which has historically been a weakness for many free-space optical communications.
The technical performance of the link is summarized in the following metrics:
| Metric | Recorded Performance |
|---|---|
| Throughput | 10 Gbps (Sustained) |
| Uptime | 99.99% |
| Packet Loss | Zero |
| Round-trip Latency | < 1 millisecond |
| Jitter/Latency | < 50 microseconds |
Beyond raw speed, the deployment demonstrated significant operational efficiency. The system utilized remote alignment and power adjustment, which meant that no on-site remedial work or manual tuning was required throughout the testing period. The process followed a strict sequence: a site evaluation to verify the line of sight, followed by installation and RFC 2544 testing before live traffic was introduced.
Strategic Implications for Southeast Asian Networks
The success of this 10 Gbps backbone link serves as a potential blueprint for other high-demand areas in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia. As data centers and enterprise customers demand lower latency and higher capacity, the inability to quickly deploy fiber becomes a competitive liability.
For Primacom, the partnership represents a shift toward more agile infrastructure. Andy Liminata, Assistant Vice President of Product Development at Primacom, noted that Transcelestial has become a strategic partner in the effort to reach wider areas more efficiently. “Through its advanced technology, Transcelestial helps us reach wider areas more efficiently. The coordination from the Transcelestial team has been very professional and responsive,” Liminata said.
This approach is particularly relevant for:
- Data Center Interconnects (DCI): Providing high-speed links between facilities without waiting for municipal digging permits.
- Campus Networks: Connecting multiple buildings across a restricted or privately owned site.
- Dense Commercial Districts: Bridging short gaps in metropolitan networks where rights-of-way are severely constrained.
The Trade-off: Laser vs. Microwave
While microwave links have long been the standard for wireless backhaul, they often force providers to choose between bandwidth, interference, and spectrum availability. Laser-based systems are positioned as a high-capacity alternative for short distances. The primary constraint remains the requirement for a stable, unobstructed line of sight and precise placement, but as the Jakarta trial suggests, the trade-off is a massive reduction in deployment time and a significant increase in data rates.
As Primacom evaluates the results of this trial, the company is now looking at the deployment as a model for connecting other hard-to-reach sites within Jakarta. The data gathered provides a baseline for planning similar backbone links in other high-demand urban zones where traditional infrastructure is no longer viable.
The next phase for these optical wireless systems involves expanding the number of nodes and testing the stability of the network as it scales across more complex urban topographies. Further updates on the expansion of this laser-based backbone are expected as Primacom continues its infrastructure rollout in Jakarta.
We invite readers to share their thoughts on the future of urban connectivity and the role of optical wireless technology in the comments below.
