Islamabad: As the Telecommunications Authority of Pakistan (PTA) will grant the final approval to Starlink to begin operations in Pakistan shortly, skepticism and fear of the unknown are visible among the telecommunications industry.
There is a lot of speculation related to the arrival of Starlink, but the four telecommunications operators in Pakistan agree that it is difficult to predict the result at this time.
Responding to consultations, Jazz, Zong, Telenor and UFONE express satisfaction that Starlink would offer premium prices for their satellite -based internet services, and it is less likely to replace the existing data services in the fiber, especially in urban areas.
“In the short term, there could be clients who subscribe to Starlink services, but these are very expensive, so not everyone will fall into this segment,” said a senior executive of a telecommunications, and added that there was a probability that Starlink strongly subsidizes their services to increase their mark on the market.
You want satellite -based Internet services to be subject to the same restrictions
While the consensus was that Starlink would have very high rates for his services, since he offered in other markets, a senior Starlink Pakistan official told Dawn that the marketing strategy would end at a later stage at the time of inauguration of the services.
The executive added that, like other fields, Starlink will not have uniform rates for the whole country, and packages may differ from one region to another.
Starlink already has an office attended by Pakistani experts and believe that the Pakistani market is not a base of high -end consumers like the Middle East or a vast as India, but a combination of both.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications said that the key clientele of the satellite -based Internet service is less likely to be common citizens, but armed forces, police, FC in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, other departments such as customs, etc.
“In addition, it is expected that the influential in rural and remote areas will be subscribed to Starlink services, regardless of its rates, where fiber penetration is low or not existing,” the official added.
However, if Starlink allows operations in the remote regions of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, it could be a direct competitor for the Special Communications Organization (SCOM) of state property, which operates only in that region.
While the four telecommunications companies operating in the continental country have a limited presence in remote and resistant parts of Pakistan, Starlink can be associated with local cellular operators based on income participation.
Meanwhile, Jazz executive, Aamir Ibrahim, sees Starlink’s arrival as an opportunity for the entire industry and consumers.
He has openly declared, even during sincere conversations with the media, that projects such as Starlink are game changers.
“The arrival of Starlink to Pakistan can cause some interruptions, but it would also allow us to look, learn and grow with competition,” said Ibrahim.
At the same time, he added that Starlink is not and should not be immune to the stops. The Government could impose restrictions blocking access to their landing stations or implementing regulatory measures during national security concerns or service blackouts.
Telecommunications companies have demanded that the regulator guarantee a level playing field and that conventional operators are not the only ones that carry the economic and trust impact of networks. In addition, existing network operators have indicated that Pakistan lacks dedicated anti -dumping laws for telecommunications services, and there should be some regulatory mechanisms that could help address such challenges in case Starlink introduces massive subsidies to interrupt the market by reducing telecommunications suppliers and existing broadband.
Posted in Dawn, April 3, 2025
