There will be one particular area that people can start in "close to civilization"; within walking distance of a heavily populated area (but still random). There will be the option to spawn near someone they know who is already in-game. There will be the option to spawn on the outskirts of civilization (also random). There will be the possibility to spawn far from civilization.
There will also likely be more customization than this, like the ability to spawn near large vs. small populations and to friends