Govt nears satellite internet framework to attract investment

October 13, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan is in the final stages of preparing a regulatory framework for Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) to facilitate satellite-based internet services, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the APT Symposium on Digital Transformation and the Universal Service Fund (USF), the minister said the framework would be finalized soon following consultations with relevant institutions.

She added that the government was committed to providing a business-friendly environment to attract investment in the satellite internet sector, according to APP.

Highlighting progress in digital inclusion, Shaza Fatima said Pakistan had reduced the gender gap in mobile internet usage from 38% to 8%. Citing the GSMA, she said the country had achieved the world's fastest progress in narrowing the gap over the past two years.

Pakistan had also strengthened its international internet infrastructure, with three new submarine cables landing in the country over the past two and a half years. Work was continuing on alternative routes and additional cable connections to improve connectivity, she added.

Under the Universal Service Fund, more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre had been laid nationwide, while fibre broadband home passes increased from fewer than three million in 2024 to over five million.

The minister said the share of mobile towers connected to fibre had risen from below 15% to more than 19%, with the government targeting a rate of at least 60%.

She also highlighted the introduction of fifth-generation (5G) technology following the auction of 480 megahertz of spectrum in March 2026, stressing that expanding fibre connectivity to mobile towers was essential to delivering effective 5G services.

To expand internet access at the local level, the government was facilitating opportunities for entrepreneurs to offer services through Class Value Added Services (CVAS) licences. A new business model was also being developed to enable people in rural areas to become internet service providers, she added.

Shaza Fatima said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held fortnightly meetings to monitor progress under the National Connectivity Plan.

She further highlighted the use of digital systems to improve public service delivery, saying more than 10 million people had received fuel subsidies through a technology-based mechanism. Smartphones were not made mandatory for beneficiaries to ensure the programme remained accessible to a wider population.

Emphasizing the importance of universal internet access, the minister said around 2.2 billion people worldwide still lacked connectivity, while approximately 48% of the Asia-Pacific population remained offline, exceeding the global average.

She said digital connectivity had become essential for education, healthcare, disaster management, economic development and national security, rather than remaining a facility for a limited segment of society.

The minister added that the Universal Service Fund had invested $1 billion over the years to extend internet services to underserved and unserved areas of Pakistan. The organisation had completed 158 projects, bringing internet access to approximately 38.4 million people across the country.

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