Situation
PT. Arutmin Indonesia is among that nation's most successful coal-mining companies. The company provides coal products for industrial and power plants throughout Asia - most notably Japan. Headquartered in Jakarta, the company has mine sites located in the remote southeast region of Kalimantan Island and at the tip of Pulau Laut Island, so managing communications between distant staging points proved a very real challenge.
Problem
The company needed a communications solution that could ensure the reliable exchange of information across remote and hard-to-reach areas where traditional terrestrial telephone lines were not always reliable. Despite the company's mining expertise, providing stable communications over vast land regions was not among PT. Arutmin's core competencies.
Solution
Communications leader CapRock Indonesia has provided satellite, microwave and other telecommunication services to the region for more than 15 years. In 2001, PT. Arutmin partnered with CapRock Indonesia, citing the satellite giant's reputation for customizing solutions for other large companies in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
The CapRock-installed communication system uses a frame relay technology over satellite, enabling communication between the five remote mine sites and PT. Arutmin's headquarters in Jakarta. The system provides 244 Kbps of bandwidth for four of the mine sites and 270 Kbps for the fifth mine site for voice, data, video conferencing and remote video surveillance capabilities. In addition, CapRock provides network monitoring to ensure the ongoing integrity of the system.
Results
The deployed solution provided just the right answer to PT. Arutmin's communication needs. CapRock delivered the bandwidth to maintain critical communications and in 2004, the company extended the existing contract.
"After working with CapRock for 3 years, we were very satisfied with the high level of service and maintenance and we had developed strong relationships between each other."-Doni, Rusmawan, IT & Communications Manager. "That's why we continued the contract for an additional two years."
PT. Kaltim Prima Coal, a sister company of PT Arutmin, signed a two-year contract for CapRock's VSAT solutions in January 2005.
