Yogi Starlink Case: DPR Urges Proportional View on Licensing Issues

The case involving Yogi Gilang Arya (39), a resident of Dusun Sikakap Timur, Sikakap, Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra, has drawn public attention. Yogi is charged with operating a telecommunications network and services without a central government licence.

Deputy Chairman of Commission XIII of the House of Representatives, Andreas Hugo Pareira, expressed regret over the legal proceedings against the resident who provided Starlink-based internet services in Dusun Sikakap Timur. According to Andreas, internet connectivity plays a vital role for communities in remote areas, particularly regions prone to disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

“Why does the law strike so swiftly and sharply against ordinary people who intend to develop their region, while the state fails to appreciate their good intentions? Understand first before punishing,” Andreas said in a press statement in Jakarta on Monday (31/8/2026).

According to the PDIP faction member, Yogi is a local young man striving to connect communities in the 3T regions (underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost) with the outside world, one of which is by providing internet services.