Batam

Batam is an Indonesian free-trade zone and industrial island known for its manufacturing, shipbuilding, and growing data center industry. It is also connected to Singapore via an undersea cable, positioning it as a digital corridor between the two countries.

Why it’s in the news: It is in the news due to severe water shortages and power outages that residents blame on the expansion of data centers, causing significant economic losses.

Latest on Batam

• Indonesians furious as Batam data centres drain taps: ‘we cannot cook without water’
• Batam blackout may have been caused by lightning, bat interference: Minister
• Batam residents protest as data centres grow and their taps run dry
• ‘New digital corridor’: Singapore, Indonesia say Batam-Changi undersea cable’s arrival will boost ties
• The widespread power outage is estimated to have caused economic losses of around 233.5 billion rupiah (US$13 million), according to economic experts.

Connections

3 entities linked to Batam across the news graph.