Elon Musk Launches Starlink Satellite Internet Service in Indonesia

Elon Musk has introduced Starlink satellite internet service in Indonesia, aiming to deliver high-speed internet access to remote and underserved areas. This initiative seeks to bridge the digital divide and enhance connectivity across the region.

Elon Musk traveled to Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Sunday to launch the Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation.

Wearing a green Batik shirt, Musk was welcomed with a garland of flower petals at a community health clinic in Denpasar, Bali's provincial capital, where he launched the Starlink service alongside Indonesian ministers.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 17,000 islands spanning three time zones with a population of over 270 million, has been striving for years to secure deals with Musk's Tesla for battery investments and with SpaceX to provide fast internet to the country's remote regions.

During the ceremony, Musk conducted a speed test of the Starlink internet service with several health workers in Indonesia’s remote regions, including Aru, one of the country's underserved and outermost islands in Maluku province.

“This can make it a real lifesaver for remote medical clinics, and I think it could benefit education as well,” Musk told reporters.

“If you can access the internet, you can learn anything and sell your business services worldwide. I think it’s going to be incredibly beneficial," he said.

Musk also signed an agreement to enhance connectivity in the country’s health and education sectors. Details about the agreement between the Indonesian government and Musk’s SpaceX, which operates Starlink services, were not provided.

Launching the service at a health clinic aligns with Starlink’s broader mission of providing affordable high-speed internet access, particularly in underserved and remote regions, said Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

“Our remote regions need Starlink to expand high-speed internet services, especially to address issues in the health, education, and maritime sectors,” Luhut, a close ally of Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, told reporters. He held separate talks with Musk on Sunday.

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi noted that local internet providers, which rely on base transceiver stations to transmit signals, cannot reach outer islands due to limited coverage. Starlink’s low-orbit satellites will help deliver faster internet with nationwide coverage.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin highlighted that of the more than 10,000 clinics across the country, around 2,700 still lack internet access.

“The internet can improve access to health services, making communication between regions easier, and allowing real-time reporting from health service facilities,” he said.

During his first in-person visit to Bali, Musk is also scheduled to participate in the 10th World Water Forum, which seeks to address global water and sanitation challenges.

In 2022, Musk spoke at the B-20 business forum ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, joining the conference by video link just weeks after completing his heavily scrutinized takeover of Twitter.

Musk’s visit comes shortly after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Jokowi on April 17, expressing interest in manufacturing in Indonesia, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's April 30 visit, where he announced a $1.7 billion investment in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia over the next four years.

Under Jokowi, Indonesia has been promoting the development of the digital technology and information sectors, aiming to achieve the government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision. This initiative aspires to make Indonesia one of the world’s top five economies with a GDP of up to $9 trillion, coinciding with the country's centennial of independence from Dutch colonization.

Source: jakartaglobe‍