SUBMERGED DATA CENTER SETI, UNY STUDENTS' IDEA TO OVERCOME UNEVEN INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE IN COASTAL AREAS

The absence of internet in coastal areas is due to the uneven distribution of internet infrastructure in Indonesia. Quoted from BPS 2021, 17,012 villages out of 83,843 villages in Indonesia do not receive proper internet signals. This prompted UNY students to design an environmentally friendly submarine data center (SDC) called SETI (Suistanable Eco Technology Incorporated) which is integrated with a Wave Power Plant. The team consists of Silvia Larasatul Masyitoh (Information Technology Department), Damar Albaribin Syamsu (Informatics Engineering Education Department), Satya Adhiyaksa Ardy (Information Technology Department), Munia Putri Nabila Rambe (Management), and Friska Tarihoran (Geography Education). The team's idea won funding from the Directorate of Belmawa of the Ministry of Education Culture Research and Technology (Kemendikbud Ristek) 2023.

Team leader Silvia Larasatul Masyitoh explained that the SDC SETI only requires 240 KWh of power for operation, in contrast to data centers on land that require twice as much for the cooling system. The low use of electricity avoids short circuits and explosions in the data center.

Damar Albaribin Syamsu added that SDC SETI utilizes renewable energy from PLTO as its power source. The location of the data center under the sea can anticipate damage due to human error. The design and materials of the SDC SETI make it resistant to all pressures and disasters that occur at the bottom of the sea. In addition, the SDC SETI is covered with artificial coral as a shelter for fish and other marine animals, so that the marine ecosystem is maintained.

Munia Putri Nabila Rambe also explained that the need for internet to run SDC SETI encourages the development of adequate internet infrastructure, so that it also has a positive impact on coastal areas. The development of SDC SETI will support the provision of internet in the surrounding area through technology such as WiFi stations which will increase connectivity and accessibility to internet services for residents in coastal areas.

This idea will be presented to the judges and other contestants, as well as exhibited in the form of posters to visitors at PIMNAS 36 at Padjadjaran University. With this, it is hoped that SDC SETI's ideas can be recognized by more people.