Regulatory approval for Starlink services awaited, NA body told

Only a provisional licence has been granted to Starlink to provide satellite-based internet services in the country and the final regulatory approval was still awaited, Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima said on Monday. The statement came during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT & Telecom, chaired by Syed Aminul Haque. The minister said Starlink services were expected to be available in the country by the end of this year. Starlink, the satellite internet service run by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has recently been granted a provisional licence by the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB). The federal minister said there were no complications in the licensing process, emphasising that satellite internet was a new technology and required careful consideration. A Chinese firm — Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology — has also applied for a satellite-based internet licence, she added. “The government is encouraging competition in the sector.”