Pak Datacom has clarified its decision to move its Ku-band satellite network from PAKSAT to YahClick, saying the shift was driven by technical limitations, higher equipment costs and the need to modernize its network.
The company said PAKSAT-1R had reached the end of its operational life. It subsequently moved its C-band services to PAKSAT-MM1, with around 12.5 GHz of C-band capacity continuing to be used through Pakistan’s national satellite system.
For Ku-band services, however, Pak Datacom said PAKSAT could not provide the required standard Ku-band frequency and instead offered Low Ku-band capacity.
The company said moving to Low Ku-band would have required replacing or modifying existing remote equipment, resulting in significant additional costs. After several discussions with PAKSAT, it said a technically and commercially suitable arrangement could not be finalized.
Pak Datacom therefore shifted its Ku-band network to Ka-band through YahClick, citing service continuity, customer requirements, equipment compatibility and commercial sustainability.
The company also said it has deployed a firewall at its Islamabad office to secure network traffic and has implemented security controls as part of the new arrangement.
Pak Datacom further clarified that YahClick has been operating in Pakistan since 2015 and has been used by other satellite service providers for customers in sectors including banking, finance, oil and gas and defence.
The company said its move should therefore be viewed in the context of an established industry practice.
Pak Datacom also cited the condition of its existing physical satellite hubs in Karachi and Lahore, saying both have reached end-of-life and cannot efficiently support newer-generation modems and higher data rates.
The company said it is moving toward a virtual hub architecture to reduce capital and operating costs while improving scalability and network efficiency.
Pak Datacom said the decision was based on technical, operational, commercial, security and business-continuity considerations, rather than simply choosing a foreign satellite provider.
It added that any genuine security concerns should be assessed through appropriate technical, regulatory and security reviews.
