Getting To Know Elon Musk's Starlink, Will Provide Internet Access In Eastern Indonesia

Satellite illustration in space (photo: dock Freepic)

YOGYAKARTA - Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, said he would provide internet access in eastern Indonesia using Starlink. Starlink is a satellite-based internet service provider. However, not many still know Elon Musk's starlink.

When meeting with Elon Musk in San Francisco, United States (US), Luhut revealed that the Tesla boss was interested in investing in Indonesia in the internet network supply sector from a small satellite Starlink business unit. One of the richest people in the world wants Starlink to operate to reach rural areas including 3T (delayed, frontier, and outermost).

"We see a lot of villages that the internet network cannot achieve. Therefore, we agree with Elon for Starlink to enter eastern Indonesia," said Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on its official social media account quoted Tuesday, August 15.

Luhut also conveyed the reason he wanted to cooperate with Starlink was because the cost of service was relatively low. Because Starlink uses technology in the form of low-orbit satellites, with as many as 60,000 small satellites. To find out more, the public needs to know Elon Musk's Starlink.

Starlink is an internet network service owned by Space X. Reporting from its official website, Starlink is a satellite-based internet service provider whose development began in 2015.

Starlink operates using satellites in low-Earth orbit. Elon Musk's Starlink claims to provide high-speed internet services with low-latency worldwide. The company is offering this because Starlink's internet service is supported by thousands of satellites orbiting close to Earth, about 550 km and spread across the world.

Because the orbital position is not too far from Earth, the latency produced by the Starlink satellite is much lower than the usual geostationary satellite. Starlink claims to be able to present satellites with only 25ms latency. Internet services from Starlink can be used for various purposes, ranging from video calls, streaming, online games, and other digital activities.

The purpose behind Starlink's presence is to provide high-speed internet access to people in very remote areas. In 2015, the development of this satellite network began. Then in 2018, its first prototype was launched into orbit. Since then nearly 2,000 Starlink internet satellites have been launched by SpaceX into orbit. On February 3, 2022, the company also delivered 49 additional satellites.

Now, Starlink internet services already include the needs of consumers of housing and business, and have supported internet connectivity on sea and flight trips. In Indonesia, Telkom Group has also utilized this service.

By mid-2022, the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) has granted PT Telkom a Special Satellite Non Geostationary Labuh Permit (NGSO) as a network organizer to remain closed using the Starlink satellite.

The service provided is not direct internet access to customers by Starlink, but a backhaul service for various needs of the Telkom Group. Furthermore, in March 2023, Telkomsat and the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) have collaborated.

Through the signing of a memorandum of understanding, the two are committed to supporting the goals of the Indonesian government in achieving 100 percent internet penetration by 2024. Furthermore, through cooperation with Starlink, Telkomsat's bandwidth capacity has increased significantly.

This is the review of knowing Elon Musk's Starlink, which is planned to provide internet services in eastern Indonesia. Luhut said he had scheduled the signing of a sensitivity with Elon in October 2023.

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