Over the past year, Pakistan’s handling of SpaceX’s Starlink rollout has been marred by hesitation, inconsistency, and bureaucratic inertia.
While neighboring South Asian nations forge ahead with firm licensing and concrete timelines, Pakistan remains trapped in a cycle of temporary approvals and regulatory backtracking.
Despite the growing need for robust broadband infrastructure across its rural and underdeveloped regions, the country’s telecom authorities appear unwilling—or unprepared—to finalize a long-term policy for low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services.
Temporary Registration, No Clear Path Forward
In late March, the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) granted Starlink a temporary registration, a move that was initially seen as a sign of progress. The result: regulatory limbo for what is currently the world’s most advanced LEO broadband network.
The PTA maintains that external consultants must first finalize detailed technical guidelines for LEO constellations. Only once those are in place can Starlink “re-apply” for a permanent license.
Bangladesh’s regulators, in comparison, moved swiftly. On April 30, the government granted ten-year operating licenses to Starlink, authorizing the immediate import of ground-station hardware and user terminals. The caretaker administration also secured a personal commitment from Elon Musk to activate services within 90 days.
Sri Lanka’s approach was equally decisive. In August of the previous year, it amended its decades-old telecom regulations to accommodate Starlink’s application.
India, despite initial skepticism, has adopted a pragmatic model. This hybrid strategy keeps foreign innovation alive while maintaining strategic national oversight through licensing caps and commercial partnerships.
Even Nepal—a landlocked, mountainous country with logistical challenges—has formally begun reviewing Starlink’s proposal. This is a strong indicator of regional momentum, which is quickly leaving Pakistan behind.
Pakistan’s Digital Paradox
Despite rhetoric around a “Digital Pakistan”, the nation’s ground-level connectivity remains weak. In such regions, Starlink’s plug-and-play LEO terminals could be transformative—offering lifelines for telehealth, online education, agritech, and e-governance.
- Economic Impact: Every month of delay in deploying Starlink means missed opportunities in remote work, e-commerce, and digital entrepreneurship, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
- Disaster Response: Areas prone to floods, earthquakes, and storms desperately need real-time, satellite-supported emergency communication tools.
- Global Competitiveness: Pakistan’s reluctance signals to tech investors and innovators that bureaucratic friction still outweighs digital readiness.
It is important to highlight that Starlink’s hardware and network systems are already compliant with ITU regulations and cybersecurity benchmarks. What’s missing in Pakistan isn’t technological validation—it’s regulatory willpower.
Until Pakistan moves from temporary No-Objection Certificates to a definitive, stable licensing framework, it will remain the last holdout in South Asia. Policymakers must weigh the urgency of digital inclusion against procedural delays that add little value.
A streamlined approval process that aligns with global best practices, supplemented by lawful-intercept frameworks and national data policies, is the only path forward.
