Elon Musk says waiting for govt's approval to launch Starlink in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: SpaceX owner Elon Musk said on Saturday that he is awaiting approval from the Pakistani government to allow Starlink internet access in the country.

“We are awaiting approval from the government,” Musk said in a tweet on X on January 4, 2025.

On the same day, Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima said that Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Services Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd had applied for a license to operate in Pakistan.

She mentioned that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is currently processing applications only from companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

This has been the most obvious hurdle for Starlink, aside from some under-the-radar complications between local authorities and Musk’s satellite-based internet company.

Pakistan has been plagued by a steady stream of internet outages for the past year. The federal government has so far cited submarine cable failures or national security concerns as the main reasons for the internet outages.

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has faced these outages so far. The platform has been banned in Pakistan since February 17, 2024.