The Minister of Communication and Information, as the Person in Charge of the Cooperation Project (PJPK) together with PT Palapa Ring Barat (PRB) as the Project Implementing Business Entity is laying the groundbreaking of the West Palapa Ring Project on Palapa Beach, Singkawang, West Kalimantan as a sign of the start of the development process projects with cable length to be held reaching 2,000 kilometers have an investment value of Rp. 3.48 trillion with a concession period of 15 years.

This fiber optic cable will form a backhaul ring that connects and unites Indonesia. The Palapa Ring West Package project will reach five districts in Riau Province and Riau Islands, namely Bengkalis Regency, Meranti Islands, Natuna, Lingga and Anambas Islands, and will also reach six districts / cities which are interconnection points with the optical fiber backbone network that has been built telecommunications operators, including Singkawang City located in West Kalimantan Province.

The Palapa Ring project is one of the government's efforts to develop the availability of fiber optic network infrastructure as the backbone for the national telecommunications system that connects all districts / cities in Indonesia and is evidence of the government's seriousness in accelerating the implementation of Strategic Infrastructure / National Priority Projects listed in the Presidential Regulation No.3 of 2016. The presence of the Palapa Ring will also provide new business opportunities for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) industry in remote areas, improve education through internet facilities and can improve people's lives through digital economic activities.