Musk, wearing a green batik shirt, said the provision of the Starlink service in Indonesia would help tens of millions in distant parts of the country access the Internet. The country is home to over 270 million people and lives in three different time zones.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to bring connectivity to places with poor connectivity,” Musk said. “If you have access to the Internet, you can learn anything.”
On Sunday, Starlink was launched in three Indonesian health centers, including two in Bali and one on the distant island of Aru in Maluku.
A video presentation on the launch showed how high web speeds have enabled real-time data entry to higher address health challenges resembling stunting and malnutrition.
“We are focusing this event on Starlink and the benefits that connectivity brings to remote islands,” he said. “I think it’s really about emphasizing the importance of internet connectivity and how much of it can save lives.”
Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi, who also attended the launch in Bali, said Starlink is now commercially available but the federal government will focus its services first on outer and underdeveloped regions.
Budi Setiadi told Reuters that ahead of Sunday’s launch, Starlink had obtained approval to operate as a retail web service provider and approval to offer networks after receiving approval for an ultra-small aperture terminal.
SpaceX’s Starlink, which owns about 60 percent of the roughly 7,500 satellites orbiting Earth, dominates the satellite Internet space.
