Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja informed the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom on Thursday that discussions are underway to bring Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet services to Pakistan in an effort to resolve the country’s slow internet issues.

While briefing the committee, the minister acknowledged technical challenges but clarified that internet shutdowns in Pakistan only occur due to national security concerns. She assured the committee that the government is exploring ways to minimize the impact of such outages on the IT sector.

Shaza Fatima revealed that the government is in active talks with Starlink to introduce its satellite-based internet services in Pakistan. However, she did not provide specific details about the progress of these discussions. Starlink, which registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in December 2021 under the name “Starlink Internet Services Pakistan (Private) Ltd.,” has reportedly fulfilled all requirements for launching its services, pending regulatory approval.

In August, the minister informed the National Assembly that Starlink’s license approval had been delayed due to non-compliance with the government’s technical and regulatory framework.

The committee also discussed the upcoming 5G spectrum auction, scheduled for April 2025, which is expected to address some of the infrastructure challenges contributing to internet-related issues in the country. However, the IT minister did not provide any assurances or updates regarding the auction.

Starlink has been actively pursuing its launch in Pakistan, with its website indicating that the company has met all prerequisites for offering satellite-based internet services. The introduction of Starlink could significantly improve internet connectivity in remote and underserved areas, addressing long-standing issues with slow and unreliable internet in the country.