Elon Musk, who runs SpaceX and Tesla, worked with Indonesia’s Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, to start a new internet service called Starlink. This service will help improve healthcare access in Indonesia’s remote areas. They launched this service on Sunday at a community health center in Denpasar, Bali, aiming to improve connectivity across the country.
Musk arrived on the resort island of Bali via private jet. Highlighting the transformative potential of Starlink, Musk expressed his enthusiasm about bridging the digital change in Indonesia, a nation of over 270 million people spread across three time zones. Musk said he was very excited to bring connectivity to places with low connectivity. He also stated that If you can access the internet, you can learn anything.
During the launch, Starlink was activated at three health centers, two in Bali and one on the remote Aru island in Maluku. A video presentation showed how the high-speed internet can help with real-time data input, enhancing efforts to fight health problems like stunting and malnutrition.
At the event, someone asked Musk about investing in Indonesia’s electric vehicle industry. Musk said he is currently focused on Starlink. He stressed that the event was about Starlink and how it helps remote islands. Also, he said, “I think it’s essential to emphasize the importance of internet connectivity and how much of that can be a lifesaver.”
The Indonesian government is trying to get Tesla to build factories for electric vehicles because it has a lot of nickel. However, Musk is currently focused on setting up Starlink.
Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi, present at the Bali launch, announced that while Starlink is now commercially available, the government will first focus on using it in remote and underdeveloped areas. Before the launch, Starlink got permission to operate as an internet service provider for retail customers and also received a permit for its small satellite terminals (VSAT).
SpaceX’s Starlink, which leads the satellite internet sector with around 60% of the approximately 7,500 satellites in Earth’s orbit, has now expanded to Indonesia. This makes Indonesia the third Southeast Asian country to have Starlink. Malaysia allowed Starlink to provide internet services last year, and a company in the Philippines made a deal with SpaceX in 2022.
Starlink is also used in Ukraine to support military operations, hospitals, businesses, and aid organizations with reliable internet connectivity.
This launch represents a critical milestone in Indonesia’s digital transformation. It promises to enhance healthcare delivery and access to education in some of the nation’s most remote and underserved areas.