DENPASAR: Elon Musk traveled to the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Sunday to launch the Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago. Dressed in a green batik-style shirt, Musk was greeted with a garland of flower petals at a health clinic in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali, where he launched the Starlink service with Indonesian ministers.
Indonesia, a extensive archipelago of 17,000 islands stretched across three time zones and home to more than 270 million people, has been trying for years to reach a deal with Musk’s Tesla to invest in batteries and with Musk’s SpaceX to provide high-speed internet to remote regions of the country.
During the ceremony, Musk conducted a speed test of the Starlink internet service with several health care workers in remote regions of Indonesia, including Aru, one of Indonesia’s unserved and most remote islands in the Maluku province.
“It could be a real lifesaver for remote medical clinics, and I think it could be an educational opportunity as well,” Musk told reporters.
“If you have access to the Internet, you can learn anything and you can also sell your business services around the world. So I think it will be extremely beneficial,” he said.
He also signed an agreement to improve connectivity in the health and education sectors in the country. No details were given about the deal between the Indonesian government and Musk’s SpaceX, the aerospace company that operates Starlink services.
The launch of the service at the health clinic is part of Starlink’s broader mission to provide affordable access to high-speed internet services, especially in underserved and remote regions, said Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
“Our remote regions need Starlink to develop high-speed Internet services, especially to aid solve problems in the health, education and maritime sectors,” Pandjaitan, a close ally of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, told reporters. He held separate talks with Musk on Sunday.
Communications and IT Minister Budi Arie Setiadi previously said that local Internet providers, which apply base transceiver stations to transmit signals, are unable to reach the outer islands because they have confined coverage. Starlink satellites, which remain in low orbit, will aid them provide faster nationwide internet.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that of the more than 10,000 clinics across the country, about 2,700 still do not have internet access.
“The Internet can provide better access to health services as communication between regions is believed to be easier, so reports from health facilities can be real-time and up-to-date,” he said.
During his first in-person visit to Bali, Musk is also scheduled to attend the 10th Global Water Forum, which aims to address global water and sanitation challenges.
Musk was speaking at the 2022 B-20 business forum ahead of the Group of 20 leading economies summit in Bali. He joined the conference via video link weeks after the closely scrutinized Twitter takeover.
Musk’s visit comes just weeks after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Widodo on April 17 and said the company would “look at” manufacturing in Indonesia. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella visited on April 30 and said the company would invest $1.7 billion over the next four years in modern cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence in Indonesia.
Indonesia under Widodo has promoted the development of digital technologies and information sectors, striving to achieve the government’s vision of “Golden Indonesia 2045”. The country hopes to become one of the world’s five largest economies with a GDP of $9 trillion exactly one hundred years after gaining independence from Dutch colonizers.
Indonesia, a extensive archipelago of 17,000 islands stretched across three time zones and home to more than 270 million people, has been trying for years to reach a deal with Musk’s Tesla to invest in batteries and with Musk’s SpaceX to provide high-speed internet to remote regions of the country.
During the ceremony, Musk conducted a speed test of the Starlink internet service with several health care workers in remote regions of Indonesia, including Aru, one of Indonesia’s unserved and most remote islands in the Maluku province.
“It could be a real lifesaver for remote medical clinics, and I think it could be an educational opportunity as well,” Musk told reporters.
“If you have access to the Internet, you can learn anything and you can also sell your business services around the world. So I think it will be extremely beneficial,” he said.
He also signed an agreement to improve connectivity in the health and education sectors in the country. No details were given about the deal between the Indonesian government and Musk’s SpaceX, the aerospace company that operates Starlink services.
The launch of the service at the health clinic is part of Starlink’s broader mission to provide affordable access to high-speed internet services, especially in underserved and remote regions, said Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
“Our remote regions need Starlink to develop high-speed Internet services, especially to aid solve problems in the health, education and maritime sectors,” Pandjaitan, a close ally of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, told reporters. He held separate talks with Musk on Sunday.
Communications and IT Minister Budi Arie Setiadi previously said that local Internet providers, which apply base transceiver stations to transmit signals, are unable to reach the outer islands because they have confined coverage. Starlink satellites, which remain in low orbit, will aid them provide faster nationwide internet.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that of the more than 10,000 clinics across the country, about 2,700 still do not have internet access.
“The Internet can provide better access to health services as communication between regions is believed to be easier, so reports from health facilities can be real-time and up-to-date,” he said.
During his first in-person visit to Bali, Musk is also scheduled to attend the 10th Global Water Forum, which aims to address global water and sanitation challenges.
Musk was speaking at the 2022 B-20 business forum ahead of the Group of 20 leading economies summit in Bali. He joined the conference via video link weeks after the closely scrutinized Twitter takeover.
Musk’s visit comes just weeks after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with Widodo on April 17 and said the company would “look at” manufacturing in Indonesia. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella visited on April 30 and said the company would invest $1.7 billion over the next four years in modern cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence in Indonesia.
Indonesia under Widodo has promoted the development of digital technologies and information sectors, striving to achieve the government’s vision of “Golden Indonesia 2045”. The country hopes to become one of the world’s five largest economies with a GDP of $9 trillion exactly one hundred years after gaining independence from Dutch colonizers.
