Islamabad: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT&T) announced that Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite broadband service. Has not yet been licensed to operate in Pakistan.
In a statement to the National Assembly, the ministry clarified that the government has not approved Starlink’s operations. Because the company has not yet met Pakistan’s technical and regulatory requirements.
Reports indicate that Starlink and other satellite broadband providers are working to enter the Pakistani market. But none have secured the necessary license for commercial activities in the country.
Starlink registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in December 2021 under the name “Starlink Internet Services Pakistan (Private) Ltd.” The company then applied for a Long Distance and International (LDI) license. With the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in February 2022. However, progress has stalled as the company still needs to fulfill the requirements and address the concerns raised by Pakistani authorities.
