ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IT Shiza Fatima has announced that Starlink services will be available in Pakistan in November of this year.
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecom held a meeting under the chairmanship of Amin ul Haque, during which the issue of Starlink’s license was discussed, and the Chairman of PTA provided a briefing on the matter.
The PTA Chairman informed the committee that the Space Board had granted Starlink a provisional license, and the full license would be issued after the finalization of their regulations. Currently, Starlink’s license is in the issuance phase.
Chairman Amin ul Haque asked what the challenges were in granting Starlink’s license.
Minister for IT Shiza Fatima explained that there were no major issues regarding Starlink’s license. Satellite internet is a new technology, and there were various aspects to consider, consultant has been hired for the Starlink license, and the consultant is working to finalize the regulations. Once the regulations are finalized, Starlink will need to reapply.
Shiza Fatima further stated that a Chinese company has also applied for satellite internet services. Once the infrastructure is in place, Starlink services will be available in Pakistan in November-December.
She added, “We want to ensure that other companies also get an opportunity in the space internet sector. A request has also been received from the Chinese company Shanghai SpaceCom. We want more companies to participate so that a competitive environment is established.”
