Indonesia
Archipelago
The suspension of the Starlink-based service following Yogi’s arrest had directly affected schools, teachers, students and digitally based micro, small and medium-sized businesses on North Pagai Island.
An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by American tech billionaire Elon Musk transmits data on Sept. 25, 2022, in Izyum, Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba)
A man in West Sumatra’s Mentawai Islands faces criminal charges for providing Starlink-based internet services in an area with limited fiber-optic connectivity, sparking public concern that authorities are penalizing a service that has helped bridge the remote islands’ digital access gap.Yogi Gilang Arya Setia was arrested by Mentawai Islands police on July 8, with authorities alleging that he operated a telecommunications business without the required permit.
