The Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) has voiced concerns over Starlink’s inability to control internet sharing, which has led to the rise of illegal internet reselling commonly known as RT/RW Net across the country. Despite Starlink boosting internet penetration in Indonesia, APJII's Secretary-General Zulfadly Syam highlighted a growing issue: users sharing a single Starlink connection and commercializing it without proper authorization.

“They still share one connection, one piece of equipment, and distribute it to several users, but for profit. If it wasn’t commercialized, it wouldn’t be an issue. In fact, it helps communities in remote areas,” Zulfadly said, as quoted by Bisnis (February 24, 2025).

APJII revealed that it has never been shown how Elon Musk’s satellite internet service prevents such unauthorized sharing. Furthermore, there is still no clarity on how Starlink blocks the illegal reselling of its internet services.

A bigger concern for APJII is Starlink’s upcoming direct-to-smartphone model, which will allow users to access the internet directly from satellites without intermediaries. Zulfadly warned that this innovation could jeopardize Indonesia’s existing internet ecosystem.

“In our view, this will damage the entire internet ecosystem we currently have,” he stated.

Starlink, a satellite internet service under Elon Musk’s SpaceX, officially launched in Indonesia in May 2024 after securing a retail service provider license from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo). The launch took place in Bali during the 10th World Water Forum on May 19, 2024, with President Joko Widodo and Elon Musk in attendance.

Despite its high-profile debut, Starlink’s investment in Indonesia was limited to Rp30 billion, with no clear details on how the funds are being used. Following its launch, around 15,000 Indonesians expressed interest in subscribing to the service.

Globally, Starlink reported 4 million customers as of September 2024, marking a 1 million user increase since May 2024, when it had 3 million subscribers.

However, Zulfadly pointed out that Starlink's internet speed has shown little improvement since its introduction in May 2024.

“Most satellite connections still face interference from weather conditions, like heavy rain, which lowers internet quality. This is common for almost all satellite devices,” he explained.

With Starlink’s expansion and its direct-to-smartphone technology looming, APJII remains concerned about the future of Indonesia’s internet landscape, urging stronger regulations to prevent further disruption.

PHOTO: STARLINK/IST

This article was created with AI assistance.