The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics of the Republic of Indonesia Hands Over a Ginset and Starlink Device to the Regent of Bireuen.

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Wamen Kominfo) of the Republic of Indonesia, Nezar Patria, handed over a Ginset and Starlink device to the Regent of Bireuen, H. Mukhlis, ST, on Thursday afternoon (December 4, 2025) at the Regent's Hall.

The high-speed satellite internet service provider developed by SpaceX was also handed over to the Lilawangsa Military Command (Korem 011) through the Commander of the Bireuen Military District Command (Dandim 0111), Lieutenant Colonel Arh Luthfi Novriadi, S.E., S.Sos., M.Han., MSC, during a working visit with a team to assess the extent of the flooding in Bireuen Regency.

The Deputy Minister of Communication and Informatics, Nezar Patria, told reporters after the handover that during the visit, he also observed the conditions and noted several critical issues that must be addressed immediately in the emergency response to the flooding.

Earlier, we reviewed the impact of the flooding in Pidie, Pidie Jaya, and Bireuen. We also met with the Regent and visited areas severely affected, with residents' homes submerged in more than a meter of mud, requiring extra-laborious work to clear.

Due to the silting of the river, water continues to flow rapidly and overflow into residential areas. As long as the mudflow remains unaddressed, water will continue to flow into residential areas.

"This situation is of concern to us, and we will convey it to the relevant Ministry," he explained.

Nezar Patria also stated that his visit was also to observe the repair process for communication networks damaged by the flooding. "Our assessment and assessment shows that a number of towers were affected by the flooding, but the majority are in good condition but are not functioning due to the lack of electricity," he said.

"So, the lack of electricity means our towers cannot operate normally, and we are trying to overcome this by powering them with generators, which are also hampered by fuel consumption, so we also have to calculate the available fuel supply," he said.

In this regard, the Deputy Minister of Communication and Informatics said: We have contacted Pertamina and PLN, the first to confirm fuel supplies in the affected areas along the east coast. The estimated time after communicating with PLN on Friday is that electricity supply will be restored.

If the electricity supply is restored, we expect the telecommunications network in Aceh to return to normal within the next three days. Currently, it is 51 percent operational, and this will continue to improve, with full normalcy expected in the near future.

Regarding the assistance handed over during a meeting with Regent H. Muklis and the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda), the Deputy Minister stated, "We have delivered one Starlink unit to Bireuen Regency. We also handed over two units through the Bireuen Military District Commander to the Lilawangsa Military Command (Korem 011).

"The results of my communication with the Danrem are that several areas, including Lokop, have no connection at all and cannot access the communications network due to the extensive damage. So we hope that Starlink can be used there," added Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Nezar Patria.