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Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, and Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin launched SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service on Sunday, intending to improve healthcare access in rural areas of the vast Indonesian archipelago.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, and Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin launched SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service on Sunday, intending to improve healthcare access in rural areas of the vast Indonesian archipelago.
Musk, who landed on the Indonesian resort island of Bali by private aircraft, attended the inauguration event at a community health centre in Denpasar, the province’s capital. Musk, dressed in a green batik shirt, highlighted that Starlink would greatly improve internet connectivity for millions across Indonesia’s more than 17,000 islands and three time zones.
“I’m very excited to bring connectivity to places that have low connectivity,” Musk stated. “If you have access to the internet, you can learn anything.”
On Sunday, the Starlink service was launched in three Indonesian health centres, two in Bali and one on the remote Maluku Island of Aru. A video presentation illustrated how high-speed internet may allow for real-time data input, assisting in the management of health conditions including stunting and malnutrition.
When asked about possible investments in Indonesia’s electric vehicle business, Musk highlighted his current emphasis on Starlink. “We are focusing this event on Starlink and the benefits that connectivity brings to remote islands,” he explained. “I think it’s really to emphasise the importance of internet connectivity, how much of that can be a lifesaver.”
Indonesia, which has over 270 million people, has been pursuing Musk’s Tesla to help build its electric vehicle sector by utilising the country’s enormous nickel resources. Musk is set to meet President Joko Widodo today and speak at the World Water Forum in Bali.
At the Bali inauguration, Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi revealed that Starlink is now commercially available, with a focus on outer and underdeveloped districts. Before the launch, Starlink was awarded a permit to operate as a retail internet service provider as well as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) permit, according to Setiadi.
SpaceX’s Starlink dominates the satellite internet business, with over 60 per cent of the 7,500 spacecraft orbiting Earth. Indonesia is the third Southeast Asian country that Starlink operates, after Malaysia and the Philippines. Malaysia licensed the service this year, while a Philippine company signed an agreement with SpaceX in 2022.
Starlink’s global network includes a strong presence in Ukraine, where it serves military, healthcare, business, and humanitarian operations.
(With inputs from Reuters)