On Saturday, Elon Musk said he was waiting for the Government of Pakistan’s approval to allow access to Starlink internet in the country.
“We are waiting for approval from the government,” Musk stated in a tweet on X (previously known as Twitter) on January 4, 2025.
This statement comes a week after a tweet by Richard Grenell, the U.S. presidential envoy for special missions, asking Musk to add Pakistan in the list of countries that need Starlink internet.
Minister of State for IT, Shaza Fatima, commented the same day on the matter that Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Services Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. has applied for a license. She noted, however, that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is processing only those applications submitted by companies registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).
According to reports, Starlink’s application is in the early stages of review. The PTA stated that they are evaluating technical requirements such as bandwidth, uplink systems, and gateway infrastructure, while the National Space Agency (SUPARCO) is reviewing Starlink’s compliance with the National Space Policy.
Officials said that addressing these technical aspects is important before moving forward with the licensing process. Once SUPARCO grants its approval, the PTA will issue the final regulatory clearance.
Amid this progress, Pakistan continues to suffer from frequent internet disruptions and blamed to submarine cable faults and national security concerns.
X (formerly known as Twitter) has been banned since February 2024 and remains one of the most affected social media applications by these disruptions.
