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Elon Musk’s Starlink has made significant progress toward launching its satellite internet service in Pakistan.
Following the Prime Minister’s directive, the Pakistan Space Activity Regulatory Board has approved the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Starlink.
With this approval, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is now set to issue a license, which may take up to four weeks.
Once licensed, Starlink will receive a registration certificate, paving the way for operations in the country.
However, media reports indicate that the service will require at least a year to become fully operational.
READ: Starlink services in Asia: Pricing starting from $40, What will Pakistan get?
The clearance from the Space Activity Regulatory Board was a key requirement for Starlink to move forward in Pakistan.
Elon Musk’s satellite broadband company, Starlink, on January 2025, has officially been registered with Pakistan’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP), confirmed Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication.
According to media reports, the registration follows approval from the relevant authorities, with the Space Board now reviewing technical aspects of Starlink’s operations in Pakistan.
The IT minister also noted that a regulatory framework is being developed to allow low earth orbit (LEO) satellite companies, including Starlink, to operate in Pakistan.
This development came two days after Musk confirmed that he was awaiting the approval of the government of Pakistan to launch Starlink in the country.
Pakistani officials, speaking to local media, mentioned that international consultants are helping create a regulatory framework for non-jurisdictional and non-stationary LEO satellites.
