Starlink likely to start by June, NA panel told

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT) and Telecom was informed on Tuesday that the process to initiate Starlink internet services in Pakistan was almost complete and the service would be available in the country by June this year.

The committee which met here with its chairman Aminul Haq in the chair, expressed its displeasure with the problems in the availability of internet services in parts of the country. The committee members hoped that after the start of the Starlink those issued could be resolved.

The parliamentary secretary for IT told the committee that the discussions with Starlink had reached the final stage and its services would be available by June this year. The secretary said that 90% process had been completed. Therefore, the licence to the Starlink would be issued soon.

During the meeting, the committee discussed the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects for the IT ministry for the financial year 2024-25. The ministry said that Rs24 billion was allocated in the PSDP, adding that more than Rs2 billion had, so far, been spent in the current fiscal year.

The committee members raised the problems pertaining to the internet availability in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Special Communication Organisation (SCO) officials said that a plan was in hand to expand mobile services in the regions at a cost of Rs780 million.

Regarding the establishment of an IT park in Karachi, the IT ministry officials stated said that Rs6 billion was allocated for the project this year, but the amount could not be utilised because it was still in the design phase. Committee member Mustafa Kamal urged effective planning for the project.

Another committee member, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, pointed to the non-completion of the Islamabad IT park project for a long time. The ministry officials said that a Korean company was working on the project. The chair said that the committee would visit the project after the next meeting.

The chair asked the ministry to expedite the work on the Personal Data Protection Bill. The IT ministry secretary told the committee that the minister concerned was on board on the bill. The committee was informed that a draft of the artificial intelligence (AI) policy had been sent to the cabinet for approval.

During the meeting, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman briefed the committee regarding internet speed and connectivity. He said that the PTA generated Rs1,700 billion revenue in the last 6 years the government had not invested even a single rupee in this sector in several years. He informed the committee that high-speed internet connectivity required fibre cables.