Indonesia and SpaceX launched Indonesia’s largest telecommunication satellite from the US on Monday in a $540 million project to connect rural areas to the internet.
Two-thirds of Indonesia’s 280 million people reside on eastern islands without internet.
“Satellite technology will accelerate internet access to villages in areas that cannot be reached by fiber optics in the next 10 years,” said senior Indonesian minister Mahfud MD before the launch.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched Thales Alenia Space’s 4.5-tonne Indonesian Satellite (SATRIA-1) from Florida and landed offshore.
The satellite will orbit Indonesia’s eastern Papua. Indonesia promised 150 gigabits per second of internet access to 50,000 public service points.
The project involves the government and PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga.