Starlink awaits security clearance, Senate panel told

Senators express concerns over Musk's recent comments

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ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT) was informed on Wednesday that Starlink internet service could be launched in Pakistan after security clearance, which was a prerequisite for acquiring the licence in Pakistan.

Briefing the committee, which met here with its chairperson Palwasha Khan in the chair, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Maj-Gen (retd) Hafeezur Rehman expressed the hope that the matter pertaining to Starlink would resolved within one month.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, owned by American tech billionaire Elon Musk. Earlier this month, Musk confirmed that Starlink had applied for permission to launch internet services in Pakistan, and awaited the government's approval.

Rehman told the Senate committee that Starlink Internet Services (Private) Ltd had yet to obtain the security clearance as well as the Long Distance & International (LDI) and the Local Loop (LL) licences from the PTA, which, he said, were prerequisites for launching the services in Pakistan.

"Starlink services are not available in Pakistan, not even through illegal means," Rehman said. "Starlink could launch the services once it gets security clearance as well as the required LDI and LL," he added, expressing the hope that the matter would be resolved within one month.

During the discussion, the chair expressed concerns about Elon Musk's repeated claims regarding grooming gangs in the UK, allegedly operated by Pakistanis. She described the narrative as "targeted disinformation against Pakistan", further amplified in collaboration with Indian entities.

"It seems Elon Musk has partnered with India to propagate false allegations against Pakistan," Palwasha Khan told the committee. On that committee member Afnanullah Khan proposed that granting licence to Starlink should be conditional to Musk issuing a public apology for his anti-Pakistan remarks.

"The PTA must consider Musk's campaign against Pakistan before issuing a licence. He should apologise for his statements before any further steps are taken," Afnanullah Khan said. The IT special secretary said that there had been no direct engagement from Musk with the Pakistani authorities.

The IT secretary acknowledged the sensitivity of providing satellite internet services in Pakistan. The PTA chief stated that the satellite-based telecommunication services could be provided by any satellite service provider after complying with the PTA licensing requirements.

Rehman said that the Starlink Internet Services Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd registered itself with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) as a holding of Netherlands BV Starlink (SpaceX). The company approached the PTA for permission to provide internet services directly to consumers.

He said that the company sought permission to provide the internet services from the Starlink NGSO satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by establishing 2-3 ground stations (GS) in Pakistan. Starlink satellites will extend bandwidth from GS by uplinking and downlinking through space stations to end users.

He said that Starlink had applied for an LDI Licence on February 24, 2022 and 14 LL licences on April 29, 2022. Considering the services offered by Starlink directly to consumers through a constellation of satellites, the case was forwarded to the IT Ministry on March 11, 2022, he added.

The committee was informed that the constellation of Starlink satellites operated globally without reported cases of interference with terrestrial systems or GSO satellites. Starlink operations could be considered on a non-exclusive, non-interference, and non-protection basis, officials said.

The committee raised a question whether a caretaker government could approve a policy and its rules, after it was informed that the National Satellite Policy was approved in December 2023, which would be implemented through the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco).

The committee was also informed that the National Space Activity Rules were issued on February 1, 2024. All space activities conducted within Pakistan will be regulated by the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB), including registration of satellite service providers, like Starlink.

"The PSARB has the mandate to register all local and foreign satellite service providers, issue NOCs [no-objection certificates] for obtaining licences from regulators," an official said, adding that the case of Starlink was currently with PSARB.

Data Protection Bill

The committee also discussed the comments of the ministry on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023. The special secretary explained that the bill was approved by the Cabinet in 2022, before being sent to the law ministry. A subsequent change in government delayed its progress.

A representative from the law ministry added that no bill involving financial implications could be introduced without proper consideration. The mover of the bill, Afnanullah Khan, expressed dissatisfaction with the prolonged delays and stressed that the bill should have been approved.

He insisted that the bill did not contravene the Constitution and called for clear communication from the law ministry about its stance. Senator Anusha Rahman also underscored the critical need for robust data protection measures.

Following detailed deliberations, the committee agreed to hold a one-point agenda session along with representatives from the Law and Justice Division, exclusively on the Personal Data Protection Bill to further deliberate and finalise the matter.

Additionally, the Telecom Foundation's performance was also discussed. The committee was informed that it was a self-funded trust currently running 15 schools and providing health services. The trust's gross revenue was expected to reach Rs1 billion by the end of this year.

The IT additional secretary informed the committee that the government would no longer be part of the trust, which would operate independently. The committee emphasised that the Telecom Foundation should focus on its core functions and work independently.