Indosat Boss Doesn't Consider Starlink a Competitor, Open to Collaboration

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – Elon Musk's company's satellite-based internet service, Starlink, has officially entered Indonesia. Its presence has been discussed for months.

Many parties also suspect that the presence of Starlink satellite internet could become a competitor for cellular operators and local satellite operators.

Even so, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Vikram Sinha actually welcomed satellite internet operations in Indonesia. According to him, this is not about competition.

“This is not competition. Be it Starlink, (internet based on) millimeter waves, it is not competition. (Starlink's presence) is good for supporting connectivity in areas that cannot be reached by telco companies, therefore we need cooperation with satellite providers,” said Vikram , on an occasion some time ago.

Vikram said that Starlink's presence in Indonesia would actually be a good thing for the industry. This is because cellular operators such as Indosat, which previously had difficulty providing infrastructure in the form of BTS or fiber optics to provide internet services in 3T, can collaborate with satellite operators.

“This is a good opportunity for collaboration, because so far the challenge has been transport and backhaul for the 3T area. We would be very happy to use Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet to connect the region,” said Vikram Sinha.

“The important message, this is not a new competition, but a good opportunity to collaborate. We want to provide quality, fingers need collaboration and this can be with several companies, not just one. We are considering price“, but the most important thing is how to empower Indonesia,” he concluded.

Elon Musk has just inaugurated his satellite internet service, Starlink, in Indonesia–precisely at the Sumerta Kelod Community Health Center, Denpasar City, Bali. The presence of this new internet service raises a number of questions, whether Starlink has the potential to…