JAKARTA: Elon Musk arrived in Bali, ahead of the anticipated launch of SpaceX’s Starlink internet service in Indonesia. The Indonesian government hopes this initiative will enhance internet accessibility and healthcare services in remote regions of the vast archipelago.
Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan welcomed Musk’s arrival by private jet at Bali’s airport, expressing plans for crucial collaborations, including the Starlink inauguration, according to his Instagram post.
The launch event, set to take place with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at a community health center in Denpasar, Bali’s capital, aims to provide equal internet access across the country. Musk’s satellite venture, Starlink, has already obtained the necessary permits to operate as an internet service provider in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, as confirmed by Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi to Reuters last week.
Indonesia becomes the third Southeast Asian country where Starlink will operate, following licenses obtained in Malaysia last year and a partnership agreement signed in the Philippines in 2022. Starlink has also been deployed extensively in Ukraine, serving various sectors such as the military, healthcare facilities, businesses, and humanitarian organizations.
