PTA Urged to Expedite Starlink Launch by NA Committee

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecom has told the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to speed up bringing Starlink’s satellite internet service to Pakistan.

PTA Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman shared that Starlink first showed interest in 2022, and Shanghai Space Technology applied in 2024. However, the licensing process with the Pakistan Space Regulatory Authority is still ongoing.

Committee Chairman Syed Aminul Haque stressed that it’s been three years with no real progress, and things need to move faster. Parliamentary Secretary Sabin Ghauri added that approvals should come within six months.

Last month, Elon Musk confirmed that Starlink is waiting for government approval. If all goes smoothly, PTA expects services to start within a month of getting security clearance.

Pakistan has struggled with internet outages in 2024, losing $1.62 billion. Starlink could be a game-changer for better connectivity.

The committee also approved Rs 43,651.380 million for IT projects in 2025-26.