Pak Datacom Limited raises satellite bandwidth utilisation eightfold in one year

September 24, 2026 (MLN): Pak Datacom Limited (PDL) has raised its satellite bandwidth utilisation eightfold in a year, driven by growing demand for reliable, high-capacity connectivity across Pakistan, and now serves around 550 major government, financial and corporate institutions.

The  company spokesman said the rising demand had sped up the modernisation of PDL's satellite network through High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology, additional bandwidth and multiple satellite platforms, APP reported.

After PAKSAT-1R services reached end-of-life and were closed, PDL moved towards HTS because the Standard-Ku Band capacity it needed was not available on MM1.

The company has also expanded its Yahsat arrangement, which has been in place since 2016.

The spokesman said Yahsat services had operated in Pakistan for several years under the applicable legal and regulatory framework, with more than 4,000 Yahsat links, including over 1,000 government links, now running through multiple service providers.

PDL has adopted a multi-band, multi-platform strategy covering C-Band, Ku-Band and Ka-Band, using HTS platforms including Yahsat and Kacific according to customer needs. The shift is also helping overcome the limits of legacy Ku infrastructure and offer more scalable connectivity.

On security, the spokesman said the network uses VPNs, GRE tunnelling, firewalls, encryption, authentication and access controls to support secure connectivity from remote sites to customer networks.

He said PDL had also shown its capabilities in difficult terrain, including connectivity for the world's highest-altitude ATM at Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, at around 15,396 feet and recognised by Guinness World Records.

The spokesman added that PDL was expanding beyond satellite services. Following the acquisition of its Fixed Line License (FLL), the company has begun work to extend its fibre infrastructure in key areas across Pakistan, which would support high-speed connectivity and create direct and indirect jobs.

The company said network modernisation and infrastructure expansion were continuing under the oversight of its Board of Directors and management, with a focus on secure, reliable and uninterrupted connectivity through satellite, fibre and other advanced telecom technologies.

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