Satellite internet in Pakistan framework nears final form
Satellite internet in Pakistan is close to a finished rulebook, while the government wants at least 60% of mobile towers linked to fibre for 5G.
IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said talks on the Fixed Satellite Services framework are complete and it will be finalised shortly.
The government wants mobile towers linked to fibre to rise from a little over 19% to at least 60% so 5G has high-capacity backhaul.
Three submarine cables have landed in two and a half years, and fibre home passes have grown from under three million in 2024 to more than five million.
The Universal Service Fund has laid more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre.
No satellite operator, package price or launch date was named; rural CVAS licences let residents become local internet providers.