Elon Musk launches Starlink internet service in Indonesia

Elon Musk on Sunday launched Starlink, his company SpaceX's satellite internet service, in Indonesia to extend access in remote parts of the country.Along with Indonesia's Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi, the tech billionaire launched the much-publicized service at a community health center in the city of Denpasar, the capital of Bali province, local English daily Jakarta Post reported.

"I am very excited to bring connectivity to places that have low connectivity,” Musk said, addressing the event.

Starlink was launched at three Indonesian health centers -- two in Bali and one on the remote island of Aru in the eastern Maluku province.

“We are focusing this event on Starlink and the benefits that connectivity brings to remote islands,” he said when asked about whether he planned to invest in Indonesia's electric vehicle industry.

Setiadi added that Starlink is now available commercially, but the government would focus its services first on underdeveloped regions.

Musk is scheduled to meet Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday, as well as address the World Water Forum, which is being held in Bali.

Musk arrived in the tourist resort of Bali earlier in the day to launch the service.

Millions of people in Indonesia, the world's most populated Muslim country, and a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, are not currently hooked up to reliable internet services.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who welcomed Musk at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, said Starlink "has the capability to reach even the most remote areas of Indonesia."

A statement by Luhut's office said the government expected that the program could help people across the country gain better and equal access to health and education.

Later this month, the satellite internet company is expected to begin testing its service in the new capital city of Nusantara, currently under development in East Kalimantan.