Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday (May 19) launched his Starlink service. The launch was from Indonesia’s resort Island of Bali to expand the internet service in the remote regions. Informing that Indonesia, known to have a vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands, holds millions of residents without reliable internet connectivity. Making his first visit to the Southeast Asian nation, Musk inaugurated the satellite service at a clinic in Bali’s capital, Denpasar. He also signed a health sector agreement with Indonesia’s Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
Honored to launch @Starlink in Indonesia! pic.twitter.com/cAHRxm3jvn
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 19, 2024
During his visit, Musk and officials attended a presentation from staff at community clinics in Bali and Maluku, highlighting improved internet speeds thanks to Starlink. The internet service has been tested in three health facilities, facilitating data entry for immunizations, child nutrition, and diabetes into the national system.
“We are thrilled to provide connectivity to areas with no or very low bandwidth,” Musk stated at a press conference. “This can be a lifesaver for remote medical clinics and transformative for education,” he added, wearing a traditional Balinese “endek” fabric green shirt.
Indonesia is in the process of relocating its capital from the congested Jakarta, which faces severe flooding risks, to Nusantara on the island of Borneo. Following successful trials, Starlink, which received a permit to operate in Indonesia earlier this month, could be rolled out commercially across the country.
Already available in Malaysia and the Philippines, Starlink uses low Earth orbit satellites to offer internet service in remote or infrastructure-challenged areas. The Indonesian government has budgeted to implement Starlink services in 10,000 state-owned clinics nationwide, although the exact amount was not disclosed, with Budi stating it should be sufficient to cover the costs.
Starlink will also be trialed this month in Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, set to open in August. As of 2022, approximately two-thirds of Indonesia’s 270 million people had internet access, according to the World Bank. In addition to the Starlink launch, Musk is scheduled to speak at the World Water Forum on the holiday island on Monday.
