Starlink’s services in country by Dec, IT panel told

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IT Shaza Fatima on Monday informed the National Assembly (NA) panel that the final regulatory approval for Starlink was not yet granted but the provisional license was issued for provision of satellite based internet services in Pakistan.

The NA Panel for IT met under chairmanship of MNA Syed Aminul Haque here on Monday in which the Minister for IT further stated that Starlink’s services could be available in Pakistan by November-December of this year.

Elon Musk’s Starlink provides low orbit satellite internet services and Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Authority had recently granted provisional licensing to the US based company but it also gets registered in Pakistan. Now the regulator PTA’s assent is awaited which might take some few months period. The Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (Retd) Hafeez-Ur-Rehman, informed the committee that Starlink so far secured a temporary license from the Space Board.

The Committee expressed concern that a formal letter had been sent by the Committee to the Secretary Interior regarding the suspension of internet services in the constituency of Pullain Baloch, followed by a reminder. However, regrettably, no response has been received to date. Taking notice of this situation, the Committee decided to Call Secretary Interior in the next meeting to present a clear timeline for resolving the issue of internet suspension. The Committee emphasized that the residents of the said constituency, particularly students, are facing severe difficulties due to the continued disruption of internet services, and immediate redressal is essential.

The PTA chairman informed the Committee about the renewal of Long Distance International (LDI) License, stating that it remains unresolved because the license holders have not yet cleared certain payments amounting to Rs24 billion.

The PTA chairman informed the Committee that due to the non-renewal of the LDI license the 40% of ATMs across the country will be impacted, 50% of long-distance calls will be affected, and 21% of international voice calls will face disruption. Additionally, 10% of Internet Services within the country will also be adversely affected. The Committee directed the PTA and the Ministry to hold one final meeting with the LDI license holders and make efforts to resolve the matter through an out-of-court settlement.

The license holders should be given a deadline of one month to clear all their pending payments. Otherwise, their licenses should be terminated, and no renewal should be granted.

The Committee appreciated the efforts behind the BEEP application, terming it a positive step designed for official correspondence between government officials and departments. It was informed that the application has been receiving positive feedback from various departments.

The Committee directed that the BEEP application must be launched before June 30, 2025. Furthermore, if the BEEP administration is facing any issues, they should coordinate with the Ministry to resolve any underlying problems promptly.

The PTI chairman informed the Committee that Pakistan is currently utilizing 274MHz the spectrum, which is insufficient. Approximately 860MHz is required for smooth connectivity. It was further informed that the Ministry is also facing litigation cases as one of the challenges in the spectrum auction process, which is causing delays in the 5G spectrum auction.

The Committee appointed a Sub-committee to examine the following TOR’s and directed it to submit its report to the Committee within one month with composition of Gohar Ali Khan, Convener, Umair Khan Niazi, Member, Ammar Ahmad Khan Leghari, Member and Sharmila Farooqui Hashaam as Member.

Its terms of reference will be to analyze the pending litigation around Spectrum issues especially those that may potentially impact 5G auction and to analyze cases where litigants have obtained stay orders causing financial loss to national exchequer.