Pakistan is moving closer to launching satellite-based internet services, but with a strong focus on national security, data protection, and regulatory control.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided to develop dedicated cybersecurity regulations for satellite communication services to shape how global satellite internet providers operate within the country.
According to sources, the new framework will apply to satellite-based services, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet systems. The regulations are intended to safeguard national security, protect user data, and ensure effective regulatory oversight of satellite service providers operating in Pakistan.
Officials familiar with the process said the proposed cybersecurity rules are expected to require local data routing, secure handling and storage of user information, and lawful interception capabilities.
Satellite operators may also be required to comply with Pakistan’s cybercrime and data protection laws, establish monitoring and incident response systems, share threat intelligence with national authorities, and ensure that their network infrastructure does not bypass lawful regulatory and security controls.
In September 2025, the PTA drafted a Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) license, offering a 15-year, non-exclusive, and revocable authorization to operate satellite services in the country.
The draft license includes an initial fee of $500,000, annual license and spectrum fees of 0.5% each, a 1.5% contribution to the Universal Service Fund, and a requirement for operators to establish a local gateway earth station within 18 months. The license also contains strict provisions related to national security and data privacy.
Despite growing interest from global satellite operators, including Starlink, satellite internet services have not yet launched in Pakistan. Industry sources say progress has been slowed by regulatory and institutional delays. The Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) has not finalized its regulations for LEO satellite providers, creating a bottleneck in approvals.
Sources add that the lack of a completed space regulatory framework, along with pending security clearances, has significantly delayed the introduction of satellite-based broadband services in Pakistan.
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Local data routing means censorship.
Satellite internet should ideally be used by telecom operators or large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) rather than being offered directly to individual home users or small offices. Just like PTCL and other operators use undersea fiber optic cables to bring international bandwidth into the country, satellite internet should also be used as a backhaul or bandwidth source for ISPs and telecom companies.
If satellite internet is used at the operator level, it can improve network reliability and help overcome issues caused by frequent fiber cuts or underground cable faults. This approach would ensure better service continuity for end users and reduce dependence on physical cable infrastructure, which often gets damaged.
why Pakistan should be different than the rest world? starlink is being used on individual level in other countries. of course regulation is a good thing but individual empowerment and having own internet is a basic right of a modern human being. it’s just like solar panels to become independent.
Because its direct use by public means “firoun ko khatra” that’s why they need BS “regulation”.
Yes I do agree with you.
No sir it’s involved in investment also country security issues…
Satellite Internet, Freedom & Pakistan’s Reality
یہ بحث ٹیکنالوجی کی نہیں، طاقت کے توازن کی ہے۔
پاکستان میں سیٹلائٹ انٹرنیٹ پر بات کرتے وقت اصل سوال یہ نہیں کہ کیا ممکن ہے بلکہ یہ ہے کہ کیا مؤثر ہے۔
اصولی طور پر، فرد کے کنٹرول میں انٹرنیٹ
اظہارِ رائے، معلومات تک رسائی، اور
جمہوریت کو مضبوط کرتا ہے۔
individual-level satellite access امریکہ اور یورپی یونین میں زیادہ بہترین ھے جہاں فرد کی اھمیت زیادہ ھے۔
لیکن پاکستان میں پیکا جیسے قوانین پہلے ہی افراد کی رائے کو نشانہ بناتے ہیں۔
وہاں انفرادی پہنچ جمہوریت کے لئے زیادہ
المیہ یہ ھے کہ
جو ماڈل نظریاتی طور پر آزاد ہے،
وہ پاکستان میں سب سے پہلے دبایا جاتا ھے۔
پاکستان میں زمینی حقیقت مختلف ہے:
بار بار fiber cuts
کمزور backbones
اور limited international gateways۔
زیادہ مؤثر حل؟
Hybrid model
Satellite → ISP / Operator backhaul
ISPs → users
اہم بات:
Starlink
شخصی آزادی کسی حد تک تو بہتر کرے کرے گا لیکن مہنگا بھی ھو گا، نتیجہ شخصی آزادی رائے کو کنٹرول کرنے کی قیمت بڑھا دے گا۔
جمہوریت تب مضبوط ہوتی ہے جب فرد کی رائے اور ریاست کے مفادات کے درمیان ایک بہترین جمھوری معاہدہ طے پا جائے جیسا امریکہ میں فرسٹ امینڈمنٹ، اور کینیڈا میں چارٹر آف رائٹس اینڈ فریڈم جیسے قوانین ایک خوبصورت جمہوری روایت کے ضامن ھیں۔
تاریخ گواہ ھے، انسان کی سوچ اور آواز کو کچھ عرصے کے لئے تو دبایا جا سکتا ھے لیکن بنیادی سچائی ھمیشہ اپنا آپ منوا کر رھتی ھے۔
یہی تاریخ اور اسکا دھارا کہتا ھے۔
Direct-to-consumer satellite internet sounds good in theory, but in reality it has several limitations. It is very expensive for an average user due to high equipment cost, installation charges, and monthly fees. Latency is also higher than fiber or mobile networks, which affects gaming, video calls, and real-time applications.
In developed countries this may still work, but Pakistan’s economic and infrastructure reality is different. Widespread individual usage would be costly, difficult to regulate, and not scalable. That’s why satellite internet makes more sense as backhaul or backbone connectivity for ISPs, who can manage traffic efficiently and provide affordable internet to end users.
Another major issue is limited capacity, satellite bandwidth is shared, so performance drops as more users connect. Weather conditions like rain and storms can further impact service quality.
We also need to be realistic. Even 5G is still not launched in Pakistan, and once it is, it will take 2–3 years just to reach 70–80% coverage. If a ground-based network like 5G faces such delays, expecting mass adoption of satellite internet at individual level is simply unrealistic.
That’s why satellite internet makes more sense as backhaul or backbone connectivity for ISPs, not as a direct consumer service. It allows better traffic management, affordability, and regulation. For Pakistan, direct-to-consumer satellite internet is more of a dream than a practical solution at least for the next decade.
Yes if used can be paid 5 million usd each tower to Pakistan for a month/year as of security issues…
Foji kuta Adnan
First of all i am assuming you are one of those users who really doesn’t understand what this service is and how it can be useful for end users. Companies you have mentioned have already been using satellite internet for backup so please clear your facts. Second this service is even after launch is still not affordable for everyone if you know or can search for their tariffs. Third and the most important is if it becomes active for normal users who can afford it this will boost their business and production and who is going to benefit from that production? Think broader instead of cheaper.
Why that license is lower fees? 1billion to 100 billion for life time or 50m for 1 to 5 years is needed for that license… in USA I said
The article clearly shows that satellite internet services have not yet launched in Pakistan mainly because of regulatory and security concerns, and the government is still finalizing rules for providers like Starlink before they can operate here.
But this is not the first time Pakistan has struggled with satellite-based consumer services. Even Direct-to-Home (DTH) TV, which is much simpler than satellite internet, never actually took off here despite licenses being awarded years ago — due to regulatory delays, overlapping authorities, high costs, and lack of coordinated implementation.
If Pakistan couldn’t successfully launch DTH over almost a decade, expecting direct satellite internet for individuals to suddenly flourish is unrealistic at this point. There are much bigger basic issues — like inflation, food prices, energy costs, and affordable internet access for the masses — that need to be addressed first before we can seriously talk about mass individual satellite internet adoption.
Pakistan military already sold Pakistan people data on dark web