Starlink and other satellite internet providers must clear four conditions before any Starlink launch in Pakistan can proceed, according to PTA Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman. He shared these details during a Senate committee meeting on Monday. The chairman told the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom that four to five satellite internet companies have already expressed interest in operating in Pakistan.

According to the chairman, a satellite internet company must first secure approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. The company must then obtain a license from the Pakistan Space Regulatory Board. Additionally, it needs approval from the Ministry of Interior before moving forward. Once these three requirements are complete, officials will forward the matter to PTA for further processing.

The PTA chairman said no satellite internet case is currently pending before the authority. This is because the Pakistan Space Regulatory Board is still finalizing its regulatory framework. He explained that this framework must be completed before any company can receive an operating license in Pakistan. Therefore, the entire approval chain remains stalled at an earlier stage.

The chairman also revealed that Starlink first approached PTA for a license back in February 2022. Meanwhile, the committee received a broader briefing on the continued delay affecting Starlink and other satellite internet services. Finally, officials gave no clear timeline for when the regulatory framework itself would be finished, leaving the path to a Starlink launch in Pakistan still uncertain.