The National Assembly Standing Committee on IT & Telecom has announced that Elon Musk's Starlink will be launching in Pakistan within six months. The Parliamentary Secretary for IT and Telecom disclosed that Starlink's application for a license, initially submitted in February 2022, faced delays due to the absence of a necessary framework. However, the approval process is expected to be finalized in a few months.

Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), shared that 90% of Starlink's discussions with the Space Regulatory Authority have been completed. The committee also learned that another satellite company has applied for a license alongside Starlink.

The committee expressed frustration over the delays and bureaucratic hurdles in the Starlink talks, urging authorities to speed up the licensing process. They also emphasized the importance of safeguarding user data when granting licenses.

PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman highlighted the significant contributions of the regulator, which has generated Rs. 1,700 billion in revenue over the past six years, despite no government investment in the telecom sector. He noted that India has invested $13 billion in connectivity under Prime Minister Modi, while Pakistan has not invested in fiberization. Despite this, he assured that the IT Ministry is working on a fiberization policy and that 2,000 telecom towers were installed last year under a comprehensive plan.
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