SpaceX’s Starlink has launched its internet service in Indonesia, aiming to improve internet access to the vast archipelago. The service is being tested on the country’s health sector by allowing healthcare professionals to input real-time data that can help alleviate challenges such as stunting and malnutrition. There are currently some 10,000 health clinics scattered throughout the country but around 2,700 remain underserved by local internet providers. Starlink has already obtained a permit from Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics to operate as an internet service provider for retail customers. However, the Indonesian government will focus on expanding the service to the country’s underdeveloped regions. Indonesia is the third country in Southeast Asia after Malaysia and the Philippines where Starlink operates. It is also the fourth most populous country in the world, with over 270 million people. As of 2023, there are approximately 212 million internet users, representing a penetration rate of around 76 percent. An overwhelming 90 percent of Indonesian internet users access the internet through smartphones.Starlink is entering a market that boasts the largest number of internet users and the most robust digital economy in the region. Indonesia’s digital economy is among the fastest-growing and most dynamic in Southeast Asia, fueled by a large, youthful population, rising internet penetration, and a burgeoning middle class. The e-Conomy report compiled by Google, Bains & Company, and Temasek predicts that Indonesia’s digital economy will have a gross merchandise value (GMV) of US$109 billion in 2025, which will rise to between US$210-US$360 billion by 2030. This will be largely fueled by the e-commerce sector which is expected to have a GMV of US$82 billion in 2025 and will increase to US$160 billion by 2030. This is closely followed by online travel and online media which are expected to have a GMV of US$15 billion by 2030.Link di fonte: https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/starlink-launches-in-indonesia-tapping-into-booming-internet-market/#:~:text=SpaceX's%20Starlink%20has%20launched%20its,such%20as%20stunting%20and%20malnutrition. (ICE GIACARTA)

Fonte notizia: ASEAN Briefing, 27 May 2024