Speaking at the “Jakarta Future Forum: Blue Horizons, Green Growth” event in Jakarta on Friday (3/5/24,) Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, announced that SpaceX’s satellite constellation, Starlink, will launch its broadband services in Indonesia in the next two weeks, according to reporting from Antara News.
Luhut said that the launch would help Indonesia provide high-speed internet access to a broader population, adding that the Indonesian government and Starlink had signed an agreement, including the required license for operating the satellite-based internet system in the country.
“I spoke with Elon (Musk) three days ago,” he said, referring to SpaceX’s owner. “We will do something, but we have yet to announce it. I think we will announce it in Bali as soon as possible.”
Earlier, Minister of Communication and Informatics, Budi Arie Setiadi, said that Starlink had obtained the license required to operate as a telecommunications provider in Indonesia and its presence would not harm local internet providers as Starlink’s services will primarily focus on providing internet access to regions uncovered by local internet providers on account of geographical factors, reports Antara News.
Budi revealed Starlink’s plan to test its network in Indonesia’s new capital city, Nusantara, in mid-May, adding that the internet provider would begin full operations this year.
“On one hand, we are aiming to boost the internet speed. On the other hand, we are striving to achieve equitable distribution (of internet access) since we still find it difficult to connect remote regions (to the internet),” he said.
Source: Antara News
