Indonesia’s digital transformation is poised to take a major leap forward as the country’s first National Data Center (PDN 1) is targeted to begin operations this June. 

Located in Cikarang, Bekasi, the facility is designed to support President Prabowo Subianto’s eight Fast Deliverables Programs (PHTC) and 17 national priority programs.

The National Data Center is a critical infrastructure project aimed at consolidating government data and enabling seamless interoperability across ministries and institutions. Currently, over 2,700 individual data centers and servers are operated by various government bodies nationwide. This fragmentation has long posed security, efficiency, and reliability challenges.

PDN 1 is expected to be the foundation of the “One Data Indonesia” initiative − enabling accurate, centralized, and reliable data-driven decision-making across the government.

In a previous workshop on Government Electronic-Based Systems (SPBE), Inixindo Director Andi Yuniantoro noted that PDN is a strategic response to multiple risks involved in decentralized electronic systems, including human error, cyberattacks, hardware failure, and even natural disasters.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Application has emphasized that PDN will serve as the backbone of the nation’s digital governance infrastructure.

“PDN is a vital foundation for strengthening the government's digital ecosystem,” Minister of Communication and Digital Application, Meutya V. Hafid, said on Friday, May 2, 2025. “We are working closely with Bappenas and other ministries to ensure integration and long-term sustainability.”

According to the minister, PDN 1 underwent official handover in March and is currently being assessed for security and operational readiness by the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN). A pilot phase is expected to begin in June.

The Cikarang facility, developed through a government-to-government (G-to-G) financing agreement with France, received a loan of €164.7 million (Rp2.7 trillion).

Construction began in 2022 and the site is built to Tier 4 international standards − the highest rating for data centers − featuring 25,000 computing cores, 200 terabits of memory, and storage capacity of up to 40 petabytes. Its power capacity starts at 20 megawatts and is expandable to 80 megawatts. The site also uses a world-class water cooling system and is equipped with robust internal and external security measures.

PDN 1 is just the first of three planned national data centers. Future sites will be located in Batam, Riau Island, and the new capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan. The government is preparing their development through a co-sharing scheme to accelerate implementation.