Space Board grants temporary license to Starlink

Islamabad: The Chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology that the Space Board has granted a temporary license to Starlink, while the full license will be granted after the finalization of its regulations.

The meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom was held under the chairmanship of Amin-ul-Haque, and the Chairman PTA briefed the committee on the issue of Starlink’s license.

The Chairman PTA informed the committee that the Space Board has granted a temporary license to Starlink, while the full license will be granted after the finalization of its regulations. He said that the Starlink license is still in the issuance stage.

The Chairman of the Committee asked what are the problems with the Starlink license? IT Minister Shaza Fatima said that there are no problems with the Starlink license, satellite internet is a new technology and its various aspects are being looked at.

Shaza Fatima stated that a consultant has been hired for Starlink's license, who is working to finalize the regulations, while Starlink will have to apply for a license again after the regulations are finalized.

The IT Minister added that Starlink's services will be available in November and December after the infrastructure is installed. She also stated that a Chinese company has also applied for satellite internet with us.

Meanwhile, the meeting also discussed the issue of mobile signal and connectivity problems in different areas of Karachi, the Chairman Committee expressed anger over the issue.

The Chairman Committee inquired whether mobile signal problems are faced in Karachi due to load shedding? Does PTA issue show cause to telecom companies?

He said that the problem of mobile signals in different areas of Karachi and its surroundings is worrisome. Due to lack of mobile signal, phone calls are constantly dropping.

The PTA Chairman said that in the last week of Ramadan, two show causes were issued to different telecom companies. He spent Eid at ancestral home, there was 12 hours of load shedding. If the load shedding is excessive, even the backup stops working.

Committee member Sharmila Farooqui said that the problem of mobile connectivity has become a headache for the entire country.