The launch of low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations providing broadband internet direct to subscribers has been met with varied responses by national regulatory authorities. On one hand, LEO satellite constellations may be revolutionising the telecommunications industry, particularly for high seas communication, but there has been noticeable hesitancy towards—or outright rejection of—the first available constellation by authorities in many national spaces.

In this presentation, I review a research project in collaboration with Dr Irfan Wahyudi at Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya, Indonesia, in which we are investigating discourses and practices around the adoption of Starlink services in Australia and Indonesia. For this study, we consider the long history of electronic communications and public memories around communications infrastructure. As we grapple with the emerging implications of our research, I will glance back to the final lecture of Benedict Anderson at Universitas Indonesia to consider imaginations about electronic communications and political communities.

Speaker Biography

Thor Kerr
Curtin University, Australia

Thor Kerr is Dean Global, ASEAN at Curtin University and the International Director of its School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry. Dr Kerr’s research draws on approaches from media and cultural studies with a focus on representations of infrastructure and communities on the eastern rim of the Indian Ocean. His teaching experience has focussed on postgraduate education,including the development, implementation, and coordination of master’s programs and research student supervision.

Dr Kerr has published a number of books, including To the Beach: Community Conservation and its Role in ‘Sustainable Development’ (2015) and Setting up the Nyoongar Tent Embassy: A Report on Perth Media (2013). He served as Lead Editor for Urban Studies: Border and Mobility (2019) and Indian Ocean Futures: Communities, Sustainability and Security (2016). Dr Kerr was also Guest Editor for issue 37(5) of the Q1 journal Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies (2023) and for Coolabah journal’s Reimagining Australia editions (2018). His articles and essays have been published in a variety of research journals, including Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, Media Practice and Education, Media International Australia, Somatechnics, International Journal of Heritage Studies, Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, Journal of Historical Geography, Thesis Eleven, From the European South, and contributed to broader media outlets, including The Conversation and The Jakarta Post.

About the Presenter(s)
Thor Kerr is Dean Global, ASEAN at Curtin University and the International Director of its School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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