Licensing delays blamed as satellite internet rollout remains stalled in Pakistan

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite operators have attributed delays in launching satellite-based internet services in Pakistan to slow licensing and regulatory approvals, urging authorities to provide clarity. Industry experts note that Pakistan has invested an estimated $400 million in two geo-stationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, but these assets have not generated significant commercial returns, The Express Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, international LEO operators including Starlink, OneWeb, Amazon Kuiper and SpaceSail have expressed readiness to offer services in Pakistan, pending regulatory approval.

Observers argue that licensing delays are restricting rural broadband expansion, industrial Internet of Things (IoT) development, maritime connectivity and disaster response capabilities. Globally, satellite broadband is increasingly treated as a core component of national infrastructure resilience.

Industry representatives said operators have assured the government they will comply with all regulatory, national security and legal requirements. They have also indicated that traffic routing would align with approved national systems, similar to compliance frameworks already applied to terrestrial broadband and mobile operators.

Some experts suggest prolonged indecision may be linked to efforts to safeguard existing investments in domestic GEO satellite assets. However, analysts note that GEO and LEO technologies now operate in complementary roles. GEO satellites provide broad coverage and stable capacity, while LEO systems offer low-latency, high-throughput broadband, forming hybrid architectures adopted in many countries.

Industry specialists also highlighted concerns over regulatory design and decision-making capacity in Pakistan’s satellite ecosystem, arguing that modern space governance requires technical expertise and structured policy frameworks. Beyond satellite operations, national space institutions are expected to build enabling infrastructure, support commercialisation, develop skilled human capital and formulate space laws.

Analysts say Pakistan has yet to establish comprehensive enabling structures for a competitive satellite communications ecosystem, even as global players expand rapidly. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is expected to integrate satellite broadband with its global cloud infrastructure, while OneWeb has partnered with European governments and telecom operators for secure enterprise connectivity. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, is already active in more than 165 countries, serving remote and industrial markets.

Telecom experts maintain that Pakistan still has the opportunity to modernize its regulatory framework, but caution that global infrastructure models are evolving quickly toward cloud-integrated and satellite-enabled connectivity.

They warn that without consistent regulatory execution, Pakistan risks remaining behind in adopting technologies that are already operational worldwide.