Bitera's state-of-the-art data center fuels Indonesia's digital economy growth

• Indonesia's per capita energy use is below 1 watt, trailing Singapore
• Country’s low data center penetration is among APAC's lowest, according to APJII data

Bitera, a state-of-the-art data center, held its launch on February 27, 2024. The inauguration was attended by several high-ranking Indonesian government officials, including Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, and Erick Thohir, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN). The presence of these key leaders reflects the synergy between the Indonesian government and the private sector, creating a solid foundation to drive the growth of Indonesia's digital economy.

“The penetration of data centers in Indonesia is currently still below 1 watt per capita, far compared to neighboring countries such as Singapore at 100 watts per capita. As another comparison, the average consumption in Japan reaches 10 watts per capita, indicating that Indonesia still has a lot of room to grow in terms of data center infrastructure,” said Tedy Harjanto, CEO of Bitera.

The low penetration of data centers in Indonesia is in line with data from the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII), which indicates that the penetration of Data Centers in Indonesia is one of the lowest in the Asia Pacific Region, at around 0.3 watts per capita. This number is far from the ideal capacity requirement of nearly 840 megawatts (MW) based on the total population. When compared to other ASEAN countries, the data center capacity in Indonesia is only equivalent to approximately 12.7 percent.

“In line with Indonesia's potential in developing the digital economy, MMS Group Indonesia sees a significant upside for data centers. We believe Bitera will meet these needs and play a crucial role in supporting Indonesian digital economy development,” said Sendy Greti, CEO of MMS Group Indonesia.

He added that Bitera’s presence aligns with the government's goal to drive the growth of the nation’s digital economy through collaboration with the private sector.

Currently, Indonesia is still lagging behind in data center development compared to the target set for 2030. This is a serious concern, considering the important role which data centers play as digital infrastructure in supporting the growth of Indonesia's digital economy.

Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, Bahlil Lahadalia, emphasised that digital infrastructure is the key requirement in the digital transformation of the Indonesian and global economy. Therefore, to achieve this goal, appropriate digital infrastructure is needed.

“Bitera's presence as a local pride data center represents a significant historical milestone on our nation's digitalisation journey. The presence of Bitera is expected to strengthen the national digital infrastructure in order to help prepare Indonesia to compete on the international stage, empowering MSMEs and startups through access to sophisticated technology," he added.

Bitera's launch serves as an ideal platform to showcase the synergy between the government agenda and the private sector to shape a solid and sustainable digital future for Indonesia, especially as Bitera is a 100% Indonesian-owned company.

The company offers critical IT load capacity of 20 MW with up to 4,000 racks. A Tier-III+ facility, it provides Five9s availability Service Level Agreement and stands out as the safest data center in downtown Jakarta. Power reliability is also guaranteed through 2N redundancy supplied from two diversified substations. Additionally, recognition of dedication to security standards is reflected in certifications such as ISO 27001 and Uptime Institute TCCD, and TCCF to be obtained by Bitera.

“Bitera leverages its strategic location in proximity to internet exchange points in downtown Jakarta, providing easy access for connecting businesses to the digital ecosystem through interconnections with low latency,” Harjanto said.

The company has implemented energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies and achieved carbon neutrality. Moving forward, it is committed to maintaining its sustainability measures in the future.

With its presence as a pioneer of digital infrastructure solutions, Indonesia is ready to step forward into a more advanced and competitive digital economic era, offering new hope for development and innovation in the country.

As an affiliate of MMS Group Indonesia, the company shares the same view to develop sustainable Indonesia. MMS Group Indonesia's achievements in winning various prestigious awards related to sustainable energy transition serve as a strong illustration of their commitment to sustainable development in Indonesia.