Aamna Aamna 
temporary approval granted by pakistan for starlink’s satellite internet service
A temporary permission has been offered by Pakistan to Starlink, the satellite-based internet service of Elon Musk, to provide services in the country.
Starlink is known primarily for its cutting-edge technology to offer internet services using Low Earth Orbit satellites and has emerged as one of the topmost players in the satellite internet segment.
The development was announced by Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication. She explained that, per the orders of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Starlink was granted temporary registration for operations in Pakistan after extensive consultations with important security and regulatory agencies, which resulted in the issuing of a temporary No Objection Certificate (NOC).
“The temporary NOC has been issued with the agreement of all relevant security and regulatory agencies,” Shaza said. “This marks the beginning of satellite internet services in Pakistan.”
Starlink will also now be under the PTA purview, which would mostly extend to anything regulatory pertaining to the functioning of the satellite internet service, specifically the payment of relevant fees or licensure requirements of Dutch Town.
Shaza also said that, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the country is marching toward digitization. “The Prime Minister has directed that Pakistan”s internet infrastructure be improved, and initiation of modern solutions such as satellite internet will boost connectivity across the country,” she added.
Registration of Starlink in Pakistan was the product of collaboration between various arms of the government. In this case, the Ministry of IT, along with other agencies, including the Cybercrime Agency, the PTA, and the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Practice Guideline, worked in consultation to hold all the required steps.
Shaza concluded that the PTA would oversee Starlink’s fee payments and other regulatory compliance processes.
Earlier this year, Elon Musk announced that Starlink had applied to offer internet services in Pakistan, noting that the company was waiting for government approval. With this approval now
taken care of, the country is one step further in the process of improving its connectivity with a satellite.
