Pakistan Allows Elon Musk To Operate Starlink Services, Days After India Approval

Islamabad: Days after India approval, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's satellite-based internet service, Starlink, has received temporary approval to operate in Pakistan .

Pakistan’s Information Technology and Telecommunications Minister, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, confirmed the development, stating that Starlink has been granted permission to operate in the country following directions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan issued a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) after consulting with all relevant security and regulatory bodies.

Starlink has been granted a temporary certificate to operate in Pakistan, marking the launch of its internet services in the region. This development comes just days after India approved the operation of Starlink services in the country.

Minister Shaza Fatima noted that the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority will oversee compliance, including fee payments and other licensing requirements.

She further added that her ministry consulted with the cybercrime agency, security agencies, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board before granting permission to Starlink.

Earlier in January, Elon Musk announced that Starlink had applied to launch its services in Pakistan.

Starlink to Operate in India, Signs Deal with Airtel and Jio

Earlier, India approved Starlink to operate in the country after Elon Musk’s aerospace company, SpaceX, struck deals with Mukesh Ambani 's Jio Platforms and Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel to bring satellite-based broadband internet services.

Starlink is the world’s largest low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, operated by SpaceX.

Through its collaboration with Starlink, both Airtel and Jio will now be able to provide internet services to remote and underserved areas.

Welcoming Starlink’s services in India, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that it would help with railway projects in remote areas of the country. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Union Minister wrote, Starlink, welcome to India.

Starlink is one of the world's most advanced internet companies, providing services via Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

The Starlink satellite, which operates in Earth’s lower orbit, have often been mistaken for UFOs in the past, as they are visible to the naked eye when they revolve around the Earth.