Tech billionaire Elon Musk (second left) poses with Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi during the inauguration ceremony of the satellite unit Starlink at a community health center in the Indonesian resort island of Denpasar, Bali, on May 19, 2024. · Sadikin (left) speaks next to him. Millions of people in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, currently lack access to reliable internet services. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP) (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP via Getty Images)
Sonny Tumbelaka | AFP | Getty Images
Elon Musk has launched SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network service in Indonesia as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to boost internet connectivity in remote areas.
The inauguration ceremony was held on Sunday at a community health center in Bali, where the SpaceX founder told local media that he was “extremely excited” to be able to bring internet services to areas with limited or no internet connections, and that RoadConnect can “be a lifesaver for people.” Telemedicine Clinic. “
“It’s important to emphasize the importance of internet connectivity and how much it can change lives and save lives,” Musk said. local media on Sunday.
SpaceX builds and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft and is the developer of Starlink satellites, which provide Internet connectivity to remote areas. Starlink is already available Malaysia and the Philippines in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, faces a rural-urban connectivity divide, with millions of people living in rural areas having limited or no access to internet services.
According to reports, Communications and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi previously said that Starlink will help Indonesia expand network access to areas not covered by local network providers. Indonesian Antara News Agency.
The minister also sought to allay concerns that Starlink’s entry would harm local internet providers.
“When you have access to the Internet, you can learn anything,” said Musk, who is also the CEO of the electric car maker Tesla. “But without an internet connection, learning is very difficult.”
“If you want to sell goods and services to the world, even if you’re in a remote village, you can now do it with an internet connection. So you can bring a lot of prosperity to (remote) communities. “Musk said.
When asked whether he also planned to invest in Indonesia’s electric vehicle industry, Musk said that his first focus was Starlink.
“My company will probably invest in Indonesia,” Musk said.
Indonesian Minister Luhut Pandjaitan reportedly said Musk was considering building an electric vehicle battery factory in the country after meeting with President Joko Widodo on Monday. Reuters.
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