Digital nomads will enjoy access to a broader type of internet connection in Bali (Indonesia) thanks to an agreement inked between Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo and Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink.
The vision of the Indonesian government is to boost internet connectivity in rural areas where regular providers don’t have a presence due to geographical challenges.
“The President, together with Elon Musk, will launch Starlink in the hopes of facilitating communication in remote areas,” said Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
Located in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands, including Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, and the most famous one, Bali.
The introduction of Starlink is expected to be a game changer for the country’s 275.5 million inhabitants and the thousands of tourists who will now be able to travel across the country without losing connectivity.
“On one hand, we are aiming to boost the Internet speed. On the other hand, we are striving to achieve equitable distribution [of internet connectivity] since we still find it difficult to connect remote regions,” said the minister.
The satellite-powered Internet provider is scheduled to start operations in the country on Sunday, May 19.
During this same weekend, Bali will be hosting the 10th World Water Forum (WWF), to which Elon Musk himself is invited to give a speech.
“The president and Elon Musk will inaugurate Starlink, which will facilitate communication in remote areas. This will be done on Sunday (May 19),“ revealed Pandjaitan on Tuesday.
But this is not the only big news for expats and digital nomads in Bali.
The country has also launched a “Transitional Stay Permit” (Bridging Visa) targeting residents who live in the territory on a Golden Visa, Limited Stay Visas E28 A-F, and some student visas that need to be renewed periodically.
In the past, foreigners were obligated to abandon the country and wait for around two months before their new visas were granted, incurring all types of inconveniences and unnecessary expenses.
“With a Transitional Stay Permit, foreigners can save time, energy, and accommodation costs that would otherwise be incurred if foreigners had to leave Indonesian territory to submit an application and wait for approval for a new visa,” said Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim.
If you need to apply for this Transitional Stay Permit, submit your application to https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/, no less than three days before your current visa expires.
This visa will be valid for 60 days and is meant to be used within Indonesia.