In the latest development stage of the Matrix Cable System (MCS), its operating partners, Matrix Networks Pte and PT NAP Info Lintas Nusa – collectively Matrix NAP Info – have activated Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme coherent optical network technology to enhance submarine network connectivity between the Batam and Jakarta segment of the infrastructure.
The MCS spans 1,055km from Singapore to Jakarta, with one active branch in Batam. It is designed to provide high-grade bandwidth connectivity between major datacentres and internet exchanges in Singapore and Jakarta. Between the two cities, the line has 6.2Tbps lit capacity and 32Tbps maximum design capacity. Two additional branching units have been installed to enable extension of the network to Perth, Australia, and to other existing cable or south-east Asian destinations.
To protect against the growing global threats to subsea connectivity, the cable is armoured and buried to provide reliability, as most of this route is through shallow water. Single- and double-armoured cable is utilised extensively on high-risk areas, while lightweight-armoured cable is used on the remaining segments. The cable is claimed to provide the best latency as it is the most direct path, with repeaters supplied by Tyco.
With the GeoMesh Extreme solution, including WL6e and the 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS), Matrix NAP Info said it was aiming to deliver high-capacity, low-latency connectivity in support of growing demand for cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and datacentre services across Indonesia.
In short, it is aiming to boost terabit-era submarine connectivity on the Batam-Jakarta corridor. The upgraded corridor also forms the high-capacity backbone that underpins Matrix NAP Info’s broader digital ecosystem, including MC-IX, Matrix Data Center, Matrix Cloud and Matrix Internet services.
Ciena believes that by upgrading the Batam-Jakarta backbone segment with WL6e, which it boasts is the most spectrally efficient coherent optical engine commercially available currently, Matrix NAP Info has expanded the throughput of its existing fibre infrastructure without having to lay new cables. The upgrade was executed in partnership with Ciena’s accredited channel partner, Terrabit Networks, with Ciena Services overseeing pre-deployment engineering.
The deployment also sees Matrix NAP Info become one of the first operators in the region to commercially activate the latest generation of Ciena’s coherent optical technology on a live submarine cable system, delivering 1Tbps per wavelength channel across the 1,055km link. This is said to place Matrix NAP Info among a select group of global operators deploying terabit-class coherent optics on in-service submarine cable infrastructure.
In addition, the deployment also allows Matrix NAP Info to enhance the capacity of its existing cable infrastructure to meet the growing demand for cloud, AI and content delivery services, while driving capital efficiency and supporting a reduced carbon footprint.
Commenting on what the implementation represents, Matrix NAP Info director Omar Syarif Nasution said: “Activating 1Tbps per wavelength on our Batam-Jakarta submarine segment is not simply a capacity upgrade – it is a statement about where Matrix NAP Info stands in the global connectivity landscape.
“By deploying the most advanced coherent optical technology available, we are future-proofing Indonesia’s international connectivity backbone and ensuring that our customers have access to the bandwidth they need to compete in the AI and cloud era. We are proud to be among the first operators in Southeast Asia to reach this milestone on a live submarine system.”
Ciena’s ASEAN regional managing director, Alex Wong, added: “Indonesia is emerging as one of the most strategically important connectivity hubs in Asia-Pacific, driven by explosive growth in cloud adoption, AI workloads and digital services. A pioneer in connecting Indonesia to the rest of the world, Matrix NAP Info is unlocking new levels of capacity on its existing cable system with Ciena’s coherent optical technology.”
