Starlink Launches Internet Service In Indonesia, With Elon Musk Attending The Inauguration In Bali

Starlink, the satellite constellation developed by SpaceX, has been making waves globally.

Using a network of satellites, it promises extensive coverage, even to the most remote islands, making it a game-changer for connectivity in hard-to-reach areas. And because it uses state-of-the-art technologies, it's also able to deliver high-speed internet, with high durability and stability.

And Indonesia, the massive archipelago country in Southeast Asia, is starting to see the benefit of this internet service.

To launch Starlink services to Indonesia, founder and CEO Elon Musk travelled to Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to be present personally.

In Indonesia, Starlink provides three distinct services:

1. Residential: Provides high-speed internet for homes.
2. Explore (Jelajah): Enables connectivity while traveling.
3. Maritime (Kapal): Offers internet access for ships and vessels.

In the inauguration, Musk arrived using his private business jet at Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, Bali, on May 19th. He was welcomed by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

During the launch ceremony, Musk tested the Starlink service with health workers in Indonesia’s remote areas, emphasizing its potential benefits for healthcare and education.

Starlink was launched at three different health centers in Indonesia, with two of those centers located in Bali and the third on the remote island of Arc in Maluku. This move aims to bring connectivity to places that previously had low or no internet access.

During the event, Musk also conducted speed test of the Starlink services.

"The internet can open up better access to health services as communication between regions is said to be easier, so that reporting from health service facilities can be done in real time or up to date," he said.

"This can make it really a lifesaver for remote medical clinics, and I think it could be a possibility for education as well."

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

"Our remote regions need Starlink to expand high-speed internet services, especially to help with problems in the health, education and maritime sectors," said Pandjaitan, who is also a close ally of Indonesia's President Joko Widodo.

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said earlier that local internet providers, which rely on base transceiver stations to transmit signals, are unable to reach outer islands because they have limited coverage.

Starlink’s satellites, which remain in low orbit, will help them deliver faster internet with nationwide coverage.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said of the more than 10,000 clinics across the country, there are still around 2,700 without internet access.

With Starlink’s availability, millions in remote areas can now access the internet more easily, fostering digitalization in health and education services across Indonesia.

During his in-person visit to Bali, Musk also signed an agreement on enhancing connectivity in the country’s health and education sectors

He Musk also participated in the 10th World Water Forum, which seeks to address global water and sanitation challenges.

While the aim is to bring internet connectivity to even the most remote places in Indonesia, Starlink's arrival has garnered some heated debates.

For example, Starlink's business model is subscription based, nothing new. But the price is.

Starlink’s pricing is not competitive with local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) because it's significantly more expensive.

Regardless of the price, Starlink's presence may affect competition from local ISPs.

Then, some people also worry that Starlink could threaten Indonesia’s cyber sovereignty. As a foreign-owned satellite-based service, it also raises questions about data security and control.

And also due to being foreign-owned, concerns also exist about the potential misuse of Starlink for activities that are forbidden by law in Indonesia, such as gambling operations.

In summary, while Starlink promises improved connectivity, it also brings complexities and potential disruptions to the Indonesian telecom landscape.

The government aims to strike a balance between innovation and safeguarding local interests.

Before this, Musk spoke in 2022 at the B-20 business forum ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies that took place in Bali. He joined the conference by video link weeks after completing his heavily scrutinized takeover of Twitter.

And previously, Musk also met with Luhut, as well as Jokowi, in the U.S., when they spoke about investment.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 17,000 islands sprawled across three time zones with a population of more than 270 million, has been trying for years to secure deals with Musk's Tesla on battery investment and for Musk’s SpaceX to provide fast internet for the country’s remote regions.

Musk’s visit comes just weeks after Apple CEO Tim Cook met Widodo on April 17 and said the company would “look at” manufacturing in Indonesia. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella visited on April 30 and said the company would invest $1.7 billion over the next four years in new cloud and AI infrastructure in Indonesia.

Indonesia under Jokowi, has promoted development of the digital technology and information sectors, aiming to achieve the government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision.

The country hopes to become one of the world’s top five economies with a GDP of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after it won independence from the Dutch colony.

Read: How Indonesian President's Meeting With Elon Musk Sparked Mixed Online Reviews