Starlink in Pakistan

Where things stand

As of October 2026 Starlink does not have a licence to provide internet service in Pakistan, and it cannot legally be bought there. The government is still finishing the satellite regulations and licensing framework that operators need before they can apply (ProPakistani).

In September 2026 Starlink's Pakistan director, Sikander Naqi, listed four requirements for launch: company registration with the SECP, final space regulations, a Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) licence, and security clearances. He described the security requirements as "very stringent". The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told a Senate committee that no Starlink licence application was currently pending with it (ProPakistani).

There is no official price. Figures circulating online are not from Starlink or the PTA.

How we got here

Starlink registered as a company with the SECP in February 2022 (Nukta). Earlier, in January 2022, the PTA said Starlink had neither applied for nor obtained a licence. It told the company to stop taking pre-orders and advised the public not to pay a USD 99 deposit (PTA).

In March 2025 the space regulator, PSARB, issued a temporary registration after Interior Ministry clearance, and officials expected a PTA licence soon after (BOL News). That did not happen. Nukta reported the temporary registration expired in June 2025 (Nukta). Ministers have repeatedly given launch dates that later passed. The IT minister had said in 2025 that service would begin by November or December that year (Dawn).

1. 2022
2. 20 Jan Starlink not yet authorized to take pre-orders, says PTA
3. 2024
4. 27 Aug IT Ministry Explains Why Elon Musk’s Starlink Still Hasn’t Come to Pakistan
5. 31 Aug Starlink’s Pakistan Launch Delayed Due to Regulatory Issues
6. 11 Oct Starlink still unlicensed in Pakistan pending space regulator registration Pending
7. 2025
8. 7 Jan Starlink registers in Pakistan, licensing process underway: IT Minister
9. 8 Jan Starlink internet packages for Pakistan – Check out pricing & details
10. 23 Jan Pakistani lawmakers demand 'apology' from Elon Musk before Starlink licence approval: Report
11. 7 Feb Fact-check finds claims of Starlink operating in Pakistan misleading
12. 21 Mar Musk’s Starlink gets licence to operate in Pakistan
13. 29 Apr PTA says Starlink's temporary space-board registration is not enough for a licence Pending
14. 2026
15. 8 Feb Elon Musk's Starlink's entry in Pakistan stalled over data security concerns, regulatory hurdles | World News
16. 8 Feb Starlink licence in Pakistan held up over data security, geopolitics and Chinese competition
17. 8 Feb Pakistan puts Starlink approval on hold
18. 1 Apr Pakistani senators criticise delays in licensing Starlink and other satellite providers Pending
19. 16 Oct Reliance responds to Musk's claims on Starlink's license; says they "welcome competition", emphasises "abiding by law"
20. 19 Oct Bulgarian court approves arrest warrant for two Germans over Starlink fire

What customers and officials report

• Unlicensed use. In January 2025 Nukta reported that some IT firms were using Starlink kits bought abroad and paying for them overseas. A senior PTA official said using the service without approval is illegal and that the PTA can act against users (Nukta).
• Political objections. In January 2025 some senators said Elon Musk should apologise for his posts about British-Pakistani grooming gangs before Starlink was registered. The PTA chairman said Starlink had agreed to follow government content-blocking instructions (The Standard).
• Security concerns. In February 2026 The Express Tribune reported that approval had been put on hold. Anonymous officials said they had concerns that some data could bypass national monitoring (Express Tribune). The government has not publicly confirmed this account.
• Delays. Senators have raised the slow pace of licensing in parliament, including through a call-attention notice (Express Tribune). Starlink says the wait is hurting underserved schools and hospitals (ProPakistani).

• Bulgarian court approves arrest warrant for two Germans over Starlink fireLawsuits & court cases19 Oct 2026
• Reliance responds to Musk's claims on Starlink's license; says they "welcome competition", emphasises "abiding by law"Regulatory & licensing16 Oct 2026
• Pakistani senators criticise delays in licensing Starlink and other satellite providersRegulatory & licensing1 Apr 2026
• Elon Musk's Starlink's entry in Pakistan stalled over data security concerns, regulatory hurdles | World NewsRegulatory & licensing8 Feb 2026
• Starlink licence in Pakistan held up over data security, geopolitics and Chinese competitionRegulatory & licensing8 Feb 2026

See all 16 reports

Regulators and open decisions

We found no court case in Pakistan involving Starlink. Licensing involves several bodies. PSARB registers satellite systems. The PTA issues operating licences. The Frequency Allocation Board handles spectrum. The federal cabinet must approve the framework (Express Tribune).

The PTA finalised a draft FSS licensing framework in February 2026 and sent it to the IT ministry for cabinet approval. It provides for non-exclusive 15-year licences (ProPakistani). An earlier PTA draft required in-country gateways and local data storage. It also required operators to block content on PTA instruction and set an initial fee of USD 500,000 plus 1.5% of annual gross revenue for the Universal Service Fund (Dawn). It is not clear whether those terms are unchanged in the final version.

How to complain

• Starlink. Account holders, including anyone who paid a deposit before 2022, can log in at starlink.com and open a ticket from the Help Center (DishyTech).
• Telecom complaints. The PTA runs an online complaint management system and a CMS mobile app (Digital Rights Monitor).
• Pre-sale offers. The PTA has advised the public not to make pre-booking payments to Starlink or associated websites while it is unlicensed (PTA).

What to watch

• Federal cabinet approval of the FSS licensing framework and PSARB's satellite communication regulations (ProPakistani).
• Security clearances, including vetting of foreign directors, which Starlink says may need further clarification (ProPakistani).
• Whether Starlink files a licence application with the PTA once the framework is issued (ProPakistani).
• Competing entrants. According to the IT minister's August 2026 reply to the Senate, Amazon's Project Kuiper plans to launch in Pakistan by the end of 2026 (ProPakistani).