Islamabad:
Pakistan Space Activity Regulatory Board (PSARB) approved the issue of the No-Object Certificate (NOC) on Friday to the US satellite-based ISP, Starlink, a significant feature set to strengthen the country’s digital landscape.
Minister of Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Starlink had received temporary registration in Pakistan on the Directive from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following consensus between all security and regulatory bodies.
According to sources, Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) was expected to issue the license to Star-Link for the next two weeks. However, they added that the company may have taken a year to start its services to Pakistani consumers.
Starlink, owned by technical billionaire Elon Musk, is officially registered with Pakistan’s securities and Ex-Change Commission (SECP) under the name Starlink Internet Services (Private) Limited and applied for the establishment of two or three land stations in the country.
Starlink first submitted an application for a long-distance International (LDI) license on February 24, 2022. In addition, it applied on April 29, 2022, about 14 local LOOP licenses as it works against providing satellite-based Internet services.
According to the PTA sources, the PSARB approved the issue of NOC after Starlink met all the requirements of the Space Regulatory Board (SRB) – the body implementing national satellite policy, 2023, and Pakistan Space Activity Rules, 2024.
The approval of Psarb is the second phase of getting the license in Pakistan. The company had obtained registration from SECP and Pakistan Software Export Board. Now the PTA license would be the last phase, after which it would start its services.
IT minister Khawaja said in a statement that the approval of the satellite internet was a milestone for Pakistan’s digital future. “The government has worked closely with all institutions under the ‘entire government’ approach to bringing improvement in the Internet services,” she said.
“Modern solutions such as satellite internet will improve the connection greatly, especially in underrated and remote areas of Pakistan,” she added. She expressed her optimism that Starlink’s entry into Pakistan would formally launch satellite internet services, marking a new era in the country’s digital connection.
