Satellite internet: Six firms including Starlink registered in Pakistan, but services await security clearance
File photo: Starlink dishes mounted on a ship's mast against a clear sky — the service has not yet launched in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The race to bring satellite internet to Pakistan has taken a step forward — six companies, including Elon Musk’s Starlink, are now registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). But registration is not a licence, and not one of them can yet sell internet to the public.
The six companies
In a written reply to the Senate Standing Committee, the SECP named the registered firms as Aether One, Flynautix, Galaxyspace Pakistan, Space P, Starlink Internet Services Pakistan and Spacesail Pakistan. Four of them registered after the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) was set up; Starlink and Spacesail had registered earlier. The details were provided in response to a letter from the committee’s chairman, Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan.
What is holding things up?
Before any company can start, it needs a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the PSARB, after which the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) can issue an operating licence. So far only Space P — a subsidiary of the National Command Authority — has submitted its NOC. Security clearance for the foreign directors and shareholders of Starlink, Galaxyspace and Spacesail is still pending with the Ministry of Interior, and until that comes through, the licensing process cannot move ahead.
What it would mean for users
If the hurdles clear, satellite internet could bring fast connectivity to remote and mountainous parts of the country where fibre and mobile networks remain weak. Experts say the service could matter a great deal for students, businesses and health facilities in far-flung areas — but that depends on how quickly the clearance and licensing process is completed.
