Menkomdigi: Government Develops Cheaper Internet Alternatives Than Starlink

Menkomdigi Meutya Hafid (photo: Dinda Buana/VOI)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto said that the government is currently preparing cheaper technology from Starlink, to provide internet access to schools throughout Indonesia.

"What is difficult to get the internet, WiFi, now there is technology, now we can install it cheaply in each school. It's not too expensive. Starlink may still be a bit expensive to pay every month. There is already cheaper technology," Prabowo said at the Plenary Cabinet Session, on October 20 yesterday.

Responding to the speech, the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, emphasized that the government is currently looking for ways to hold lower-earth orbit connectivity that is cheaper than Starlink.

"And among them yesterday we just completed one of the breakthrough technologies of Fixed Wireless Access or FWA which allows connections to be cheaper and also connections that reach more into housing," said Meutya at Tech in Asia Conference 2025 on Wednesday, October 22 in Jakarta.

Recently, the Ministry of Communication and Digigi has also opened and announced that the winner of the 1.4 GHz frequency auction selection which is predicted to be able to provide 100 Mbps internet service at affordable prices.

In an official announcement from the Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure of the Ministry of Komdigi, Surge, represented by a subsidiary, Telemedia Communication Pratama, won a frequency auction of 1.4 GHz for Regional 1 with the highest price offer of IDR 403 billion, followed by Telkom IDR 399 billion and Eka Mas Republik IDR 331 billion.

Meanwhile, Eka Mas Republik, known as the MyRepublic brand, won the battle in Region 2 and 3, with a regonal offer of IDR 300 billion and IDR 100 billion, respectively.