Holiday Ayo - The Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) has completely handed over the Starlink satellite service pricing policy to Elon Musk when operating in Indonesia. 

Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) Budi Arie Setiadi said that the government does not intervene in the price of Starlink internet services in the country. 

“Regarding the economics [of service tariffs], the government doesn't interfere. What's important is that if prices are like this in the market, yes, please, we don't regulate prices," said Budi when met at the Telecommunications Equipment Testing Center (BBPPT), Depok, Thursday (2/5). 

Budi said that if Elon Musk sets the price for Starlink services cheaper, his party will take further steps. Quoted from the official Starlink page, Thursday (2/5/2024), Elon Musk set the price for internet services at IDR 750,000 per month. 

These costs do not include hardware and other costs, such as shipping and handling. The Starlink hardware itself is priced at IDR 7.8 million, while shipping and handling costs are set at IDR 345,000. 

Budi said that the Starlink trial will be carried out in the Indonesian capital (IKN) which is scheduled for mid-May 2024. 

Later, Elon Musk's low earth orbit (LEO) satellite will use the global spectrum, where the satellite's location will be scattered at several points. 

Previously, BMI research estimated that Starlink's entry into Indonesia had the potential to significantly change the telecommunications landscape. 

Indonesia is also considered to be more lenient in providing flexibility for Starlink to serve the domestic market compared to Thailand and Vietnam. 

In the research, it is likely that Starlink operates in Indonesia because there are no local satellite broadband constellation plans owned by the country and the data sovereignty framework is less stringent than in some markets such as Thailand and Vietnam. 

Both countries have imposed restrictions that limit Starlink's market access and operational profitability. In Thailand, for example, strict regulations have limited the prospects for foreign satellite service providers wishing to provide domestic services such as broadband connectivity who must obtain three licenses.