Many Indonesians believe Starlink is not yet necessary.

The arrival of low-earth orbit satellite-based internet service, Starlink, in Indonesia has not been met with universal enthusiasm.

A survey by Populix and Uzone Indonesia shows that a majority, or 63.8%, of Indonesian respondents find the internet provider owned by Elon Musk interesting, but not yet necessary to purchase.

Another 17.5% of respondents consider the hype surrounding Starlink's arrival in Indonesia to be merely a trend.

Furthermore, 15.3% of respondents believe that Starlink's subscription price is expensive. Meanwhile, 3.4% of respondents believe the service is unsuitable for urban areas.

The Populix and Uzone Indonesia survey involved 1,418 respondents across Indonesia via online methods. The research results were published on both companies' social media on May 31, 2024.

(Read also: [This is the Price of Starlink Internet Subscription in Indonesia](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2024/05/20/ini-harga-langganan-internet-starlink-di-indonesia))

Starlink was officially launched in Bali on May 19, 2024. According to *[Katadata](https://katadata.co.id/digital/teknologi/66595df5c84ed/telkom-khawatir-starlink-jualan-di-indonesia-negara-harus-hadir)*, the general public can directly order Starlink devices and internet services. Netizens report that Starlink internet speeds can reach 360 Mbps (megabits per second), with an average of 250 Mbps.

Despite its advantages, some experts worry that Starlink is engaging in predatory pricing, offering a 40% discount on devices in Indonesia until June 10, 2024.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), predatory pricing is a strategy where a company sets prices very low, or below the market average, for a certain period.

Besides predatory pricing, experts also highlight data security, fair competition with local cellular operators, and licensing issues.

However, a different perspective was offered by Alfons Tanujaya, a Technology Security Specialist at Vaksincom [https://katadata.co.id/digital/teknologi/6656c614192ae/alasan-indonesia-butuh-internet-starlink](https://katadata.co.id/digital/teknologi/6656c614192ae/alasan-indonesia-butuh-internet-starlink). He argues that Indonesia needs Starlink satellite technology to provide internet access to underserved, remote, and outermost areas (3T areas).

This statement aligns with the government's claim that Starlink aims to provide access for communities in 3T areas.

“Starlink can make Indonesia's internet connection 'equal' to Singapore's, which has high-speed internet nationwide. Without Starlink, it's impossible for Indonesia to achieve that,” said Alfons in a press statement on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.

Alfons believes that Starlink will profit from the Indonesian market, but the country will also benefit from digital economic growth.

(Read also: [Comparison of Starlink and Local Provider Internet Speeds](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2023/08/28/ini-perbandingan-kecepatan-internet-starlink-dan-provider-lokal))