Starlink holds promise for Pakistan’s internet gaps. SpaceX’s satellite service eyes rural and remote areas. Yet operations remain pending. PTA has not issued a full license as of March 2026.
Millions lack reliable broadband. Starlink could change that. Delays persist due to regulations.
Starlink is still not operating commercially in Pakistan.
When this story first drew attention in early February 2025, officials told lawmakers that the process was nearly complete and service could begin within months. Since then, the file has moved forward, but mostly on the regulatory side rather than the consumer side.
From promise to provisional approval
The clearest breakthrough came on March 21, 2025, when the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board, or PSARB, issued provisional registration to Starlink Internet Services Pakistan (Private) Limited. PSARB said the temporary approval covered planning for ground-segment infrastructure and completion of formalities with other Pakistani authorities. APP reported the same day that the company had received a temporary NOC or registration after coordination across security and regulatory bodies.
That step mattered, but it did not mean Starlink had full permission to start selling service to the public. It moved the company from discussion into formal regulatory processing. It did not finish the process.
Why service has not started yet
Pakistan now spells out the path for NGSO satellite operators more clearly than it did when the original article was published. PSARB says the process has three layers. First, a company must be registered locally through SECP. Second, it must secure PSARB registration for the satellite system, gateway stations, and user terminals. Third, it must obtain a PTA service licence. PSARB also says security clearance forms part of the process.
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That helps explain the delay. Starlink’s case is not only a telecom matter. It sits at the overlap of space regulation, frequency coordination, telecom licensing, and national-security review. Pakistan’s regulators are also trying to build a system that works for future operators, not just one company.
How the timeline kept moving
The original article said Starlink could begin operating within six months. That forecast did not hold. By April 7, 2025, the IT minister was telling lawmakers and reporters that Starlink was more likely to become operational by November or December 2025. She said a consultant had been hired to help finalize the rules and that the service would move ahead after regulations and equipment installation were completed.
That consultant step had already started on March 3, 2025, when PSARB signed with Access Partnership to develop Pakistan’s broader space regulatory framework. The work covers satellite communications, Earth observation, positioning and navigation, and other space-related services. In short, Pakistan used the Starlink file to accelerate a wider regulatory system.
More than one satellite player is waiting
Starlink is not the only company shaping this market. PSARB has said that other operators, including OneWeb, SSST, and Sateliot, also approached the regulator. A National Assembly written reply further shows that Starlink Internet Services Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. and Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology were among the companies that had applied for PTA licences under the locally registered-company rule.
That matters because Pakistan is trying to write rules that create a level playing field for LEO entrants while protecting existing satellite networks already serving the market. The Starlink story is therefore no longer just about one brand. It is part of a broader opening of satellite internet regulation in Pakistan.
Latest status in Pakistan
As of March 19, 2026, the public official sources reviewed do not show a full PTA operating licence announcement or a confirmed commercial launch for Starlink in Pakistan. PSARB’s public Starlink notice still describes the status as provisional registration, and PSARB’s own website continues to say the wider regulatory framework is being developed.
That means the most accurate current headline is not “Starlink begins operating.” It is “Starlink remains in the licensing pipeline.” The project has moved forward, but it has not yet turned into verified retail service in the official public record reviewed for this update.
What comes next
The next meaningful milestone will be a final regulatory clearance that moves Starlink beyond provisional approval and into a full service licence. Until that happens, readers should treat launch forecasts carefully. Pakistan has progressed from talks to formal registration and a clearer licensing framework, but the commercial switch has still not been visibly flipped.