PTA Urges Licensing of Starlink, OneWeb and Amazon to Improve Internet Access in Remote Areas

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has called for the licensing of satellite internet providers, including Starlink, OneWeb, and Amazon, as part of efforts to improve connectivity in remote areas and along the country’s motorway network.

The issue was discussed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, where lawmakers reviewed the poor state of internet services in far-flung regions.

Briefing the committee, the PTA chairman said conventional telecom infrastructure remained insufficient in many underserved areas, and that satellite internet had become increasingly important for extending coverage beyond major urban centers.

He said licensing satellite broadband operators was now a practical requirement for improving connectivity on motorways, in mountainous regions, and in areas where laying fiber or expanding terrestrial mobile networks was either difficult or commercially unviable.

The PTA chairman cited Nepal as a useful example, saying the country had adopted a comparatively effective model by allowing satellite internet services to operate under a formal licensing framework.

According to the regulator, PTA has completed its preliminary work on satellite internet licensing and forwarded its recommendations to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication for further consideration.

He said companies such as Starlink, OneWeb, and Amazon should be allowed to enter the Pakistani market once they meet the country’s legal, technical, and regulatory requirements.

The committee was informed that satellite operators must first obtain registration from the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board. PTA would then proceed with issuing the relevant telecom license after the registration process is completed.

The regulatory sequence means no satellite internet provider can begin commercial operations solely on the basis of a PTA application. Approval from the space regulator will be required before the telecom authority can grant operating permission.

The PTA chairman said satellite connectivity could complement, rather than replace, existing mobile and fiber networks. Such services could be particularly useful in regions affected by weak coverage, difficult terrain, power constraints, or limited commercial investment by traditional operators.

Pakistan has repeatedly faced complaints about poor internet availability outside major cities, with users in remote districts often reporting low speeds, unstable signals, and frequent disruptions.

Satellite broadband could help bridge some of those gaps, although its affordability, equipment costs and regulatory conditions would determine how widely it could be adopted by households and businesses.

The Senate committee’s discussion comes as pressure grows on regulators and telecom operators to improve nationwide digital access and reduce the disparity between major cities and underserved regions.

The next phase will depend on the completion of registration and licensing requirements, as well as policy decisions by the federal government on how satellite internet providers will be permitted to operate in Pakistan.

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