Billionaire Elon Musk announced that Starlink had sought permission to initiate internet services in Pakistan, which is pending government approval.
Musk confirmed the application after responding to a post by Pakistani citizen Sanam Jamali, who envisioned a more connected future with Starlink. Jamali later asserted that Pakistan had greenlighted Starlink’s entry, urging Musk to accelerate the launch. She highlighted the vast potential benefits, including enhanced connectivity, educational access, and opportunities for millions.
During a parliamentary session on Friday, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for IT, revealed ongoing negotiations with Starlink to introduce satellite internet services in Pakistan. She recognized Pakistan’s internet infrastructure challenges and committed to enhancements despite disruptions, such as the X platform ban, which affected less than two per cent of the populace. Khawaja also defended surveillance measures, citing national security, particularly post-recent terrorist incidents.
Starlink’s market entry has been previously stalled by regulatory challenges, notably interference concerns with Pakistan’s geostationary satellite, PakSAT-MM1.
A report from Top10VPN.com indicated that Pakistan suffered the most from internet outages globally, incurring losses of $1.62 billion. This forms part of a broader issue where global internet disruptions last year amounted to 88,788 hours, causing economic damages of $7.69 billion.
