BRI forms special unit for operating satellite

The most profitable bank in Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) is setting up a special unit for operating its satellite which is scheduled to launch in June 2016, to network 21,000 of its ATM in the country, especially in remote islands.

BRI’s director of compliance Randi Anto said the IT (information and technology) center for operating the satellite would be located in Ragunan, South Jakarta, led by a team of 12 technician which currently taking a training program in the United States.

“We’ve sent them to the US for the internship. And then, they will be positioned in our special office in Ragunan for operating the satellite. We’re working with a San Francisco-based SSL or Space System Loral in building the satellite,” said Randi to the press in London on Wednesday.

The bank has been spending US$200 million in investment for the satellite, Randi said. It would serve the bank for 17 years, translating a US$ 11.8 million spending for the network service per year. It is considerably economical compared to leasing a satellite which cost the bank US$ 37.2 million per year.

BRI had secured a special permit to own and operate the satellite, and would use 40 of 54 transponders in the new satellite for serving their ATM service and branch offices network, leaving four others transponders for the government.

“With the new satellite we are confidence to add ATM machine and branch offices across the remote regions in the country as we can fully dedicate a satellite for that, and no longer depends on satellite providers which we can’t control when problems in networks happen,” he said.