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JAKARTA (Reuters) – Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied to the Indonesian government for an internet service provider permit for its Starlink satellite unit, the communications ministry said on Thursday.
The application signals Starlink’s expansion into Southeast Asia after Malaysia issued a license to provide internet services in the country last year, and a Philippine-based firm signed a deal with SpaceX in 2022.
“The important thing is that we have to have fair trade with a level playing field,” said Budi Ari Setiadi, Indonesia’s communications minister.
He said Starlink testing will take place in Indonesia’s new capital Nusantara, which is under construction in the jungles of Borneo island, sometime in 2024.
SpaceX’s Starlink, which owns about 60% of the approximately 7,500 satellites orbiting Earth, is dominant in the satellite internet sector. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Wayan Tony Supriyanto, a ministry official, said Starlink has built a hub but has not met all the requirements to apply for an ISP permit.
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(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Martin Petty)
Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters,
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