Elon Musk and Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin introduced SpaceX’s satellite internet service for the country’s healthcare industry yesterday with the goal of enhancing accessibility in the archipelago’s far-off areas.
TakeAway Points:
- Elon Musk and Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin introduced SpaceX’s satellite internet service for the country’s healthcare industry yesterday.
- Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has been attempting for years to entice Elon Musk’s Tesla car company to establish electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in order to grow the EV industry by using the abundant nickel resources in the nation.
- Starlink has been permitted to operate as an internet service provider.
Starlink Launches in Indonesia
Elon Musk, the millionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla, flew in for the launch ceremony at a community health centre in Denpasar, the provincial capital, before arriving by private jet on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali.
Elon Musk, sporting a green batik shirt, declared that the introduction of the Starlink service in Indonesia would facilitate internet access for millions of people living in remote areas of the nation. Within the nation, there are three distinct time zones and almost 270 million inhabitants.
“I’m very excited to bring connectivity to places that have low connectivity. If you have access to the internet, you can learn anything.” Musk said.
Starlink Remains Priority
On Sunday, Starlink was introduced at three Indonesian health centres: one on the isolated island of Aru in Maluku and two in Bali.
During the launch, a video presentation was shown that demonstrated how fast the internet allowed data to be entered in real time to address health issues including malnourishment and stunting.
When asked if he intended to make investments in Indonesia’s electric car market as well, Musk stated that Starlink was his top priority.
“We are focusing this event on Starlink and the benefits that connectivity brings to remote islands,” he said, “I think it’s really to emphasize the importance of internet connectivity and how much of that can be a lifesaver.”
Indonesian Government seeks Tesla’s Attention
The Indonesian government has been attempting for years to entice Elon Musk’s Tesla car company to establish electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in order to grow the EV industry by using the abundant nickel resources in the nation.
On Monday, the tech billionaire is expected to meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and give a speech at the World Water Forum that is being held on the island.
The government would prioritise its services for remote and impoverished areas, but Starlink is now commercially available, according to Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi, who was present at the launch in Bali.
Starlink to Operate as an Internet Service Provider
According to a Reuters’ report, before launching on Sunday, Starlink was granted permission to function as a retail internet service provider and had been given the green light to supply networks after obtaining a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) authorization.
In the world of satellite internet, SpaceX’s Starlink dominates, with over 60% of the 7,500 satellites in orbit.
The third nation in Southeast Asia where Starlink will conduct business is Indonesia. Last year, Malaysia granted the company a licence to offer internet services, and in 2022, a Philippine-based company inked a contract with SpaceX.
Starlink is also widely utilised in Ukraine, where the armed forces, medical facilities, commercial enterprises, and humanitarian organisations use it.
