Senator questions delay in satellite internet
Prolonged delay in issuing licences for satellite-based internet services will be debated in the Senate as a senator has submitted a call attention notice seeking explanation from the federal minister for information technology.
"I would like to draw the attention of the federal IT minister to the prolonged delay in issuing licences required for launching satellite-based internet services," Senator Sarmad Ali said in his call attention notice, adding that the delay was affecting companies interested in entering the Pakistani market.
According to him, at least five companies are awaiting final regulatory clearance and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has almost completed the requirements for the internet service. However, registration with the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board remains pending.
"Would the federal minister explain the reasons behind these delays and inform the house as to when the licences will be issued," he asked.
Industry experts have warned that the ambition for next-generation connectivity is being undermined by policy indecision, weak long-term planning and inconsistent regulation. While Pakistan continues to project itself as a fast-emerging digital economy, insiders argue the gap between narrative and execution is growing wider and critical decisions on licensing and modern connectivity models are being delayed. "When it comes to real decision-making, licensing clarity and investment certainty, Pakistan's system moves too slowly," a senior telecom executive remarked.
Experts are of the view that the real issue is quality of service rather than coverage claims. Even in key urban areas, users continue to experience unstable broadband performance, congested mobile networks and inconsistent throughput.
Pakistan's broadband market remains fragmented, with many households and small businesses still dependent on copper-based infrastructure, while fibre-to-the-home expansion remains uneven and concentrated in select neighbourhoods.
Experts stress the challenge is not simply "more users come online," but whether the underlying backbone and access networks are being modernised fast enough to handle the exponential data growth. "Everyone is calling it a 5G auction, but operators are thinking about survival on 4G," a radio network planning expert said while commenting on the recent 5G auction. "The first priority is congestion relief."
Analysts note that mobile networks now carry the bulk of Pakistan's digital traffic, yet spectrum availability remains constrained, feeding directly into declining user experience and service inconsistency.
While Pakistan debates spectrum strategy and struggles with execution, the global telecom and technology landscape is already moving into a different era, one where connectivity is no longer limited to terrestrial fibre, ground towers and data centres built on land. Across the world, innovation is shifting towards emerging infrastructure models such as data centres in water and space.
Major economies are increasingly investing in resilient and distributed digital infrastructure because modern services such as AI, cloud computing, autonomous systems, industrial IoT and immersive digital platforms require massive computing power and low-latency connectivity. Amazon, for instance, already operates one of the largest global footprints for cloud infrastructure through Amazon Web Services (AWS) and industry analysts believe the company intends to leverage this ecosystem as a strategic advantage for its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite initiative Kuiper.
The integration of satellite broadband with cloud platforms, edge processing and enterprise-grade connectivity services is increasingly seen as the next battleground in global telecom.
Meanwhile, OneWeb has expanded aggressively in Europe, aligning itself with governments and telecom operators to deliver secure satellite broadband services designed for enterprise and sovereign use cases. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, has already been launched in more than 165 countries, rapidly becoming an alternative connectivity platform in remote regions, maritime operations, disaster recovery environments and isolated industrial settings. Other LEO players such as SpaceSail have also entered the global race, expanding competition and accelerating innovation in satellite broadband delivery.
Yet Pakistan has not been able to meaningfully tap into this shift. Multiple international LEO operators including Starlink, OneWeb, Amazon Kuiper and SpaceSail have indicated they are ready to provide services but have been waiting for regulatory clarity and approvals for several years. Telecom sector observers argue these delays are limiting rural broadband potential, industrial IoT expansion, maritime connectivity and disaster response capabilities.