Musk in Bali: Starlink’s National Launch and Narrowing the Digital Divide in Indonesia
Starlink is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet.
Elon Musk Launches Starlink in Indonesia
As part of an effort to change the digital landscape of Indonesia, Elon Musk visited Bali on 19th of May for the national launch of Starlink satellite internet services. Musk, the founder of Starlink, Tesla and SpaceX, attended the inauguration ceremony at a health center in Bali, marking another step in Indonesia’s journey to make its digital divide smaller.
Starlink has been available globally for five years in many countries, including Canada, several European nations and the Philippines and Malaysia, using signals from low Earth orbit satellites to connect its users to the internet.
Indonesia’s Connectivity Gap to be Closed
Indonesia has long faced issues of a connectivity gap between urban and rural areas, largely due to its geographical makeup consisting of more than 17,000 islands. With many of the world’s largest archipelago’s residents living in remote areas, connecting the country has been tough. Presently, only two-thirds of Indonesia’s residents have internet access. Starlink’s launch in Indonesia is an attempt to remedy this issue and hopefully bring the transformative potential of the internet to more regions of the country.
During the launch, Musk emphasized the importance of the internet, speaking of the vast array of learning and entrepreneurial opportunities which could be made available due to greater connectivity. Similarly, he touched upon the potential life-saving potential of bringing the internet to those in rural communities. The benefits for communities with medical centers that currently have no internet access and currently rely on books or outdated resources, or for the many fishermen that travel across the archipelago without an internet connection cannot be understated.
Elon Musk being greeted at Bali I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport on 19 May 2024.
Despite the potential advantages of Starlink’s involvement in Indonesia, there have been some concerns raised about the competition it may pose to local internet providers. Some believe that the involvement of a global corporation will result in service prices that cannot be beaten by local companies.
Communication Minister Budi Arie Setiada has tried to put these doubts to rest, stating that Starlink’s involvement in Indonesia is aimed at providing internet to regions which have so far been too difficult for local internet providers to access. Considering the opportunities at stake through a prolonged lack of connectivity, it still seems that this two-pronged approach may be one of the most effective means to providing a more inclusive digital infrastructure in Indonesia.
Final Thoughts
Although the long-term impact of Starlink’s presence in Indonesia is yet to be seen, the potential economic, educational and life-saving advantages it could bring to rural communities make it a promising step forward to bridging the digital gap and connecting the country.
Written by Team Bali Solve
