Indonesia and Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX launched Indonesia’s largest telecommunication satellite from the United States on Monday, June 19 (Reuters). The $540 million project aims to connect remote areas of the archipelago to the internet.

The majority of Indonesia’s 280 million people already use the internet, but connectivity is limited in the country’s remote, underdeveloped eastern islands.

Prior to the launch, senior Indonesian minister Mahfud MD said in a statement, “Satellite technology will accelerate internet access to villages in areas that cannot be reached by fiber optics in the next 10 years.”

Thales Alenia Space built the 4.5-ton Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia (SATRIA-1). SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched it into orbit from Florida, where it made a precision landing before returning to an offshore location.

The orbital slot above the eastern Papua region of Indonesia will be occupied by the satellite. According to the Indonesian government, it will provide internet access to 50,000 public service points and has a throughput capacity of 150 gigabytes per second.

The government and Indonesian satellite service provider PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga are working together on the project as a public-private partnership.