Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, announced on Saturday that he is awaiting approval from the Pakistani government to launch Starlink in the country.
The announcement came after a conversation on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) between Pakistani user Sanam Jamali and Musk, who inquired about the potential launch of Starlink in Pakistan. Jamali expressed that Starlink could offer better internet connectivity and greater opportunities for citizens, contributing to the country’s progress.
In response, Musk confirmed that the launch of Starlink in Pakistan is pending governmental approval. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, offers internet services through a vast network of satellites.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) later confirmed ongoing discussions with Starlink about obtaining a satellite services license. The process is in the early stages, with PTA reviewing the technical aspects of the application and the National Space Agency assessing the proposal under the national space policy.
The PTA emphasized that technical considerations such as bandwidth, uplinking, and gateways are being carefully evaluated before granting approval. This process is standard for all foreign satellite service providers and requires regulatory clearance after review by the space agency.
Starlink, a satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX, aims to deliver fast, reliable global internet access through thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). The network is designed to offer high-speed connectivity with low latency, comparable to or better than traditional fiber-optic networks, providing internet access to remote and underserved areas where traditional infrastructure is limited or unavailable.
