Elon Musk, Indonesian health minister launch Starlink satellite internet service for healthcare sector

Indonesia is the third country in Southeast Asia where Starlink will operate. Starlink was launched at three Indonesian health centres on Sunday

Indonesia has also been trying for years to lure Musk’s Tesla to build manufacturing plants for EVs, using the country’s rich nickel resources

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US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk arrives to launch Starlink at a sub-district community health centre in Denpasar. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:36pm, 19 May 2024

Elon Musk and Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin launched SpaceX’s satellite internet service for the nation’s health sector on Sunday, aiming to improve access in remote parts of the sprawling archipelago.

Musk, the billionaire head of SpaceX and Tesla, arrived on the Indonesian resort island of Bali by private jet before attending the launch ceremony at a community health centre in the provincial capital, Denpasar.

Musk, wearing a green batik shirt, said the availability of the Starlink service in Indonesia would help millions in far-flung parts of the country to access the internet. The country is home to more than 270 million people and three different time zones.

“I’m very excited to bring connectivity to places that have low connectivity,” Musk said, “If you have access to the internet you can learn anything.”

Musk arrives to launch Starlink in Denpasar. Asked about whether he planned to also invest in Indonesia ’s electric vehicle industry, Musk said he was focused on Starlink first. Photo: EPA-EFE

Starlink was launched at three Indonesian health centres on Sunday, including two in Bali and one on the remote island of Aru in Maluku.

A video presentation screened at the launch showed how high internet speeds enabled the real-time input of data to better tackle health challenges such as stunting and malnutrition.