Islamabad: The Permanent Committee of the National Association for Information Technology and Wireless Communications directed the Pakistani Communications Authority (PTA) on Tuesday to accelerate efforts to bring in Starlink satellite internet service to Pakistan.
According to a statement issued by the Municipality of the National Assembly, PTA president, the General (R), told the committee that Starlink continued in 2022 on providing internet services via the satellite. However, the process with the regulatory authority of Pakistan is still continuing, with an unnoticed license agreement.
The statement added: “The committee has issued instructions to PTA to track the process quickly to ensure the availability of internet services at Starlink in a timely manner in the country.”
Last month, the technology pole, Elon Musk, confirmed via X that Starlink submitted a request to launch services in Pakistan and was waiting for the approval of the government. “We are awaiting the approval of the (Pakistani) government,” Mousse said in response to a post on social media.
During the meeting of the Senate Committee on January 22, the Chairman of the Rezman Company also highlighted that Starlink was waiting for security clearance, a necessary step before obtaining an operating license and the launch of services in Pakistan. I expect this with the necessary security and licensing permit, Starlink can start services within a month.
With Pakistan a great interruption on the Internet in 2024, Starlink from satellite can address some of the country’s communication challenges. According to Top10Vn.com, Pakistan ranked the most influential in the online turmoil, suffering from losses of $ 1.62 billion in 2024 due to power outages.
In addition to the entry of Starlink, the committee also discussed budget proposals related to the Public Sector Development Program of the Ministry of Information (PSDP) for the next fiscal year 2025-26. After comprehensive discussions, the committee agreed to a proposal worth 43,651.380 million rupees for the next fiscal year.
The Comprehensive Services Fund in Pakistan (USF) also presented its plan for the national fiber policy, which aims to improve communication throughout the country. Usf confirmed that the nation is currently 274 MHz of the spectrum, which is not enough for the optimum service. To address this, USF is working on a policy that is expected to be completed within three to four months, which will help in assessing the investments needed for the country’s communications Towers fibers. The committee recommended allocating 10 % of USF funds for this initiative.
