Government to Provide Starlink and Mobile Phones to Miangas Residents

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The government is preparing aid in the form of smartphones and Starlink satellite internet network for all household heads on Miangas Island, Talaud Islands Regency, North Sulawesi. The aid is being distributed as an effort to strengthen digital connectivity in Indonesia’s outermost regions while promoting public services and the community’s economy in the border area. “There is Minister Meutya here, Mrs Meutya is the Minister of Communication and Digital, and she will provide the phones. There is Starlink and phones for all household heads,” said President Prabowo Subianto in a written statement from Bakom RI, Saturday (9/5/2026). He also inspected several basic infrastructures and public services, such as the airport, community health centre (puskesmas), and school. During the inspection, Prabowo found that the school revitalisation programme has been running and is already equipped with digital interactive panels. However, he also discovered that there are puskesmas that have not been repaired for years. He promised to repair those facilities immediately. “Earlier I saw several puskesmas places. The Minister of Health whispered to me, ‘Sir, for several years since the time of Mr Harto, the puskesmas has not been repaired’. We will repair all puskesmas in Indonesia, immediately,” he said.