Indonesian Health Minister Elon Musk launched Starlink to serve the health sector

The third nation in Southeast Asia where Starlink will do business is Indonesia.

After traveling by private aircraft to the Indonesian resort island of Bali, Elon Musk, the millionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla, attended the launch ceremony at a community health center in Denpasar, the provincial capital.

With the goal of enhancing connectivity in isolated areas of the vast archipelago, Elon Musk and Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin inaugurated SpaceX's satellite internet service for the country's health sector on Sunday.

The millionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, flew in by private jet to the Indonesian resort island of Bali, where he attended the launch ceremony at a community health center in Denpasar, the provincial capital.

Musk, sporting a green batik shirt, said that millions of people in remote areas of Indonesia will benefit from having access to the internet thanks to the launch of the Starlink service. With three distinct time zones and over 270 million residents, the nation

"I'm thrilled to introduce connectivity to areas with limited connectivity," Musk said. "Anything is possible to learn if you have internet access."

On Sunday, Starlink was introduced at three Indonesian health centers: one on the isolated island of Aru in Maluku and two in Bali.

During the launch, a video presentation was shown which demonstrated how fast internet allowed data to be entered in real time to address health issues including malnourishment and stunting.

When asked whether he intended to make investments in Indonesia's electric car market as well, Musk said that Starlink was his first priority.

"This event is centered around Starlink and the advantages that connectivity offers to isolated islands," he said. "I believe the main purpose is to underscore the significance of internet connectivity and the potential lifesaver it can provide."

The Indonesian government has been attempting for years to entice Elon Musk's Tesla car company to establish electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in order to grow the EV industry by using the abundant nickel resources in the nation.

On Monday, the tech billionaire is expected to meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and give a speech at the World Water Forum that is being held on the island.

The government will prioritize its services for remote and impoverished areas, but Starlink is now commercially accessible, according to Communications Minister Budi Arie Setiadi, who was present at the unveiling in Bali.

Prior to Sunday’s debut, Starlink got a permission to operate as an internet service provider for retail users and had been granted the go-ahead to supply networks, having received a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) permit, Budi Setiadi told Reuters.

In the satellite internet domain, SpaceX's Starlink has a commanding position, possessing over 60% of the approximately 7,500 satellites in orbit.

The third nation in Southeast Asia where Starlink will do business is Indonesia. Last year, Malaysia granted the company a license to provide internet services, and in 2022, a Philippine-based company inked a contract with SpaceX.

Starlink is also widely used in Ukraine, where the armed forces, medical facilities, commercial enterprises, and humanitarian organizations use it.