Pakistan Moves Closer to Finalising Satellite Internet Regulatory Framework

Pakistan is moving closer to introducing a regulatory framework for satellite internet services, with the Fixed Satellite Services Framework now in its final stages, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said.

Addressing the Asia Pacific Telecommunity Symposium, the minister said consultations with relevant institutions had been completed and the regulatory framework would be finalised soon. She added that the government would provide a favourable and business-friendly environment for companies interested in investing in satellite internet in Pakistan.

Shaza Fatima said Pakistan had made significant progress in narrowing the gender gap in mobile internet usage. According to GSMA figures cited by the minister, the country has recorded one of the fastest improvements globally over the past two years, with the gender gap in mobile internet usage falling from 38 per cent to 8 per cent.

She said three new submarine internet cables had been landed in Pakistan over the past two and a half years. Work is also continuing on alternative connectivity routes and new cable links to strengthen the country’s international internet infrastructure and improve resilience.

The minister said more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre had been laid across Pakistan through the Universal Service Fund. Fibre broadband home passes, which numbered fewer than three million in 2024, have now exceeded five million. Meanwhile, the proportion of mobile towers connected through fibre has increased from less than 15 per cent to more than 19 per cent.

The government has set a target of increasing mobile tower fibreisation to at least 60 per cent, she said. According to the minister, Pakistan introduced 5G technology for the first time through the auction of 480 MHz of spectrum in March 2026. She stressed that connecting mobile towers to optical fibre would be essential for effective 5G service delivery.

Shaza Fatima said local businesses were also being given opportunities to provide district-level internet services through CVAS licences. The government is working on another business model to enable people in rural areas to become local internet service providers and expand connectivity in underserved communities.

She added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reviews progress on the National Connectivity Plan every two weeks to improve digital connectivity and internet services across the country.

The minister also said more than 10 million people had received fuel subsidies through a technology-based system. A smartphone requirement was not imposed to ensure wider access to the programme.

Shaza Fatima noted that around 2.2 billion people worldwide still lack internet access, while approximately 48 per cent of the Asia-Pacific population remains offline. She stressed that digital connectivity is now essential for education, healthcare, disaster response, economic development and national security.

The government, she said, aims to expand internet access, strengthen digital infrastructure and increase opportunities for citizens to benefit from modern technology.