Heaptalk, Jakarta — Amidst the public discourse on the stark contrast in internet rates between Starlink and local providers, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) has stepped in. Kominfo has conducted a thorough analysis of the rates of three Starlink internet service packages in comparison to local internet service packages.
In a press release on Thursday (06/13), the Head of the Telecommunications Licensing Team at the Directorate General of Post and Informatics at Kominfo, Falatehan, stated, “The three service packages offered by Starlink are much lower compared to existing satellite broadband services for residential customers, while other packages tend to be higher.”
Falatehan mentioned that the fixed broadband rates for Starlink’s 100 Mbps package are priced at around US$50. This rate does not include purchasing the user terminal device, which is currently discounted to Rp4.68 million from its regular price of Rp7.8 million.
On the other hand, local internet providers offer cheaper rates than Starlink for the same services, with Link Net charging US$27.67, MNC Play charging US$47.27, and Biznet charging US$38.33. Meanwhile, IndiHome offers a higher rate than Starlink, charging US$53 for its service, with a 30 Mbps package priced at US$22. He added, “Therefore, Starlink’s service rates can compete with existing fixed broadband providers, although users must make an initial investment by purchasing the equipment.”
Additionally, Starlink‘s satellite broadband service rates for up to 100 Mbps are significantly cheaper than its competitors’, ranging from Rp775,000 to Rp1,860,000. However, due to the limitations of the satellites they use, Starlink’s competitors only offer package rates up to 6 Mbps. For instance, Telkom Satelit Indonesia charges Rp18.35 million, and Pasifik Satelit Nusantara charges Rp15.50 million.
“Therefore, if you look at Starlink’s fixed mobile broadband, it can still compete. However, the coverage of fixed mobile broadband is not as extensive as satellite since satellite coverage spans all of Indonesia,” Falatehan concluded.
