Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk arrived to Bali, an Indonesian resort island, on Sunday with the intention of launching his Starlink service, which will provide internet access to rural sections of the nation.
In Indonesia, a large archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, millions of people do not now have access to dependable internet services.
On Sunday afternoon, Musk, who is visiting the country for the first time, is expected to introduce Starlink alongside President Joko Widodo at a clinic in Denpasar, the city of Bali.
Maritime and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said Starlink “has the capability to reach even the most remote areas of Indonesia.”
“I had the opportunity to pick up Elon at the airport this morning and then discuss some of his agenda items while he’s here,” the minister wrote on his official Instagram account.
“One of the key topics was the launch of the Starlink internet service.”
According to Luhut, Musk will also speak at the World Water Forum, which is currently being held on the holiday island.
The capital of Indonesia is being relocated by the government from congested Jakarta, where experts predict that substantial portions of the country may be under water by 2050 as a result of rising sea levels and land subsidence.
Starlink, which was granted permission to operate in Indonesia earlier this month, may launch commercial operations throughout the archipelago following the trial.
Starlink is already accessible in Malaysia and the Philippines in Southeast Asia.
Starlink can offer internet service to isolated areas or places where regular communications infrastructure has been disabled through the use of a network of low Earth orbit satellites.
As of 2022, nearly two-thirds of Indonesia’s 270 million people had internet connection, according to the World Bank.
