Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite unit has secured permission to operate in Indonesia, the communications minister told Reuters on Wednesday.
Starlink has been licensed to operate as an internet service provider for retail consumers and has been given approval to provide networks as it has received permission for a very small aperture terminal (VSAT), Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said in an interview.
Indonesia is the third country in Southeast Asia where Starlink will operate. Malaysia issued the company a license to provide internet services last year, and the Philippine firm signed a contract with SpaceX in 2022.
“Starlink has met all the requirements needed for commercial operation in Indonesia,” Budi said, without giving details on the value of the investment.
The company will conduct a test this month in Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, and the launch is expected later, Budi said. The trial will last a week, he added.
When operating in Indonesia, Starlink will work with local network access providers to comply with the country’s regulations.
The government expects Starlink to provide Internet services to remote areas of Indonesia, he added.
Starlink did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SpaceX Starlink, which owns about 60% of the roughly 7,500 satellites orbiting the Earth, is dominant in the satellite Internet space.
