ISLAMABAD:
Low earth orbit (LEO) operators have held the federal government and regulatory our bodies accountable for delay in issuing licenses for the launch of satellite-based web companies in Pakistan.
Business specialists level out that Pakistan has invested an estimated $400 million in two geo-stationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, however these belongings didn’t generate significant industrial returns.
Pakistan has not been in a position to meaningfully faucet into this shift. A number of worldwide LEO operators together with Starlink, OneWeb, Amazon Kuiper and SpaceSail have indicated they’re prepared to supply companies however have been ready for regulatory readability and approvals for years.
Business observers argue that these delays are limiting the agricultural broadband potential, industrial Web of Issues (IoT) growth, maritime connectivity and catastrophe response capabilities, at a time when international friends are treating satellite tv for pc broadband as a mainstream layer of nationwide resilience.
Discussions with trade officers revealed that operators had given assurances that they’d absolutely adjust to authorities of Pakistan’s laws, together with nationwide safety and authorized compliance mechanisms required previous to service launch.
They’ve additionally indicated that site visitors routing will comply with the accredited nationwide methods and compliance processes already relevant to terrestrial broadband suppliers and mobile cellular operators.
“The concept satellite tv for pc operators wish to bypass safety necessities is misinformation,” stated an trade observer, including that they have been ready to adjust to the authorized frameworks already in place.
A overseas expertise knowledgeable with information of Pakistan’s LEO and GEO satellite tv for pc panorama recommended that extended indecision could also be linked to efforts to defending state investments in home GEO satellite tv for pc belongings.
“It seems the federal government is defending its GEO satellite tv for pc funding fairly than enabling globally confirmed connectivity options,” the trade official stated. “However the trade has moved ahead. LEO is the place scale and industrial momentum is accelerating.”
GEO and LEO satellite tv for pc expertise has advanced right into a complementary ecosystem, the place GEO gives wide-area protection and secure capability for broadcast and spine functions, whereas LEO delivers low-latency, high-throughput broadband – collectively forming a hybrid structure that many nations now view as the way forward for resilient connectivity.
Business specialists famous that Pakistan’s satellite tv for pc communications ecosystem was usually formed by establishments and people missing deep technical experience, which can be contributing to weak regulatory design and delayed decision-making.
“A high-technology sector can’t be led by non-technical our bodies,” the knowledgeable remarked. “It impacts licensing guidelines, compliance frameworks and the tempo at which the nation adapts.”
Past licensing delays, the knowledgeable argued that underneath trendy house governance ideas, nationwide house our bodies have been anticipated to do greater than function satellites. They’re additionally accountable for growing enabling infrastructure, nurturing expert house professionals, supporting commercialisation of house services and products, constructing home trade functionality, and formulating house legal guidelines and governance mechanisms.
Business observers declare Pakistan has not made significant progress on constructing these enabling constructions, leaving the ecosystem stagnant whereas the worldwide house financial system accelerates.
The distinction between international momentum and home hesitation has additionally sharpened scrutiny of Pakistan’s method to high-profile expertise initiatives corresponding to AI Week 2026, promoted as a very powerful expertise occasion in Pakistan’s historical past.
Whereas the occasion has generated consideration by way of summits, showcases and funding messaging, a number of analysts described it as a part of a recurring nationwide cycle of “event-driven progress,” the place polished conferences and optimistic claims outpace actual reform.
“Now we’ll see the standard cycle – billion-dollar numbers, polished panels and the identical audio system,” stated a telecom coverage analyst. “However structural reforms stay caught.”
Specialists warn that if manufactured narratives proceed to drive notion and coverage, Pakistan will stay able to internet hosting expertise showcases whereas real innovation is constrained behind the scenes.
Regardless of the challenges, telecom specialists consider Pakistan nonetheless has a possibility to reset its path. Nevertheless, they warning that the worldwide market is quickly shifting in the direction of infrastructure fashions which are cloud-integrated, satellite-enabled and more and more unbiased of conventional terrestrial limitations.
“The world is constructing for the subsequent decade,” stated a senior regulatory government. “Pakistan remains to be debating applied sciences which are already operational globally.”
Till regulatory consistency and execution exchange uncertainty and delay, specialists warn that Pakistan dangers remaining a market the place ambition is trendy, however supply stays completely postponed.
Amazon, as an illustration, already operates one of many world’s largest international footprints of cloud infrastructure by way of AWS and trade analysts consider the corporate intends to leverage this ecosystem as a strategic benefit for its LEO satellite tv for pc initiative – Mission Kuiper. The mixing of satellite tv for pc broadband with cloud platforms, edge processing and enterprise-grade connectivity companies is more and more seen as the subsequent battleground in international telecom.
In the meantime, OneWeb has expanded aggressively in Europe, aligning itself with governments and telecom operators to ship safe satellite tv for pc broadband companies designed for enterprise and sovereign use circumstances.
Starlink, operated by SpaceX, has already launched in additional than 165 nations, quickly changing into an alternate connectivity platform in distant areas, maritime operations, catastrophe restoration environments and remoted industrial settings. Different LEO gamers corresponding to SpaceSail have additionally entered the worldwide race, increasing competitors and accelerating innovation in satellite tv for pc broadband supply.
