DNA

ISLAMABAD: Starlink, the satellite internet service, is set to launch in Pakistan by November or December, according to Minister of State for Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja.

The minister shared the update during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, chaired by Aminul Haq.

Last month, Khawaja confirmed that the satellite-based internet provider was granted temporary registration in Pakistan following the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “With the consensus of all security and regulatory bodies, Starlink has been issued a temporary no-objection certificate (NOC),” she said in a statement on March 21.

The Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the meeting that the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) had granted Starlink a temporary licence. 

The PTA chairman clarified that the company would receive a full licence once the regulatory framework for satellite internet is given final touches.

Addressing questions from the committee, IT minister Khawaja assured that there were no significant hurdles in issuing the licence.