ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is set to grant final approval to Starlink to commence operations in Pakistan shortly, scepticism and fear of the unknown are visible among the telecom industry.
There is a lot of speculation related to Starlink’s arrival, but all four telecom operators in Pakistan agree that it is difficult to predict the outcome right now.
Responding to the queries, Jazz, Zong, Telenor, and Ufone express satisfaction that Starlink would be offering premium prices for their satellite-based internet services, and that is less likely to substitute the existing data services at the fibre, especially in the urban areas.
“In the short run, there could be clients subscribing to the Starlink services, but these are very expensive, so not everybody will fall into this segment,” said a senior executive of a telco, adding that there was a very little probability that Starlink will heavily subsidise their services to increase its footprint in the market.
Want satellite-based internet services to be subject to same restrictions
While the consensus was that Starlink would have very high rates for its services as it was offering in other markets, a senior official of Starlink Pakistan told Dawn that the marketing strategy would be finalised at a later stage at the time of the inauguration of services.
The executive added that, like other fields, Starlink will not have uniform rates for the whole country, and packages may differ from region to region.
Starlink already has an office staffed by Pakistani experts and they believe the Pakistani market is neither a high-end consumer base like the Middle East nor a vast one like India but a combination of both.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication said that the key clientele of the satellite-based internet service are less likely to be ordinary citizens but armed forces, police, FC in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, other departments such as the customs, etc.
“Besides, it is expected that the influential in rural and remote areas will subscribe to Starlink services irrespective of their rates, where the fibre penetration is low or not existing,” the official added.
However, if Starlink is allowed operations in the remote regions of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, it could be a direct competitor to the state-owned Special Communications Organisation (SCOM), which operates only in that region.
Whereas the four telcos operating in the mainland country have limited presence in remote and rugged parts of Pakistan, Starlink may partner with the local cellular operators on a revenue share basis.
Meanwhile, Jazz Chief Executive Aamir Ibrahim sees Starlink’s arrival as an opportunity for the whole industry and the consumers.
He has stated openly, even during candid discussions with the media, that projects like Starlink are game-changers.
“Starlink’s arrival to Pakistan may cause some disruptions, but it would also allow us to watch, learn and grow with the competition,” Mr Ibrahim said.
At the same time, he added Starlink is not and should not be immune to shutdowns. The government could impose restrictions by blocking access to its landing stations or implementing regulatory measures during national security concerns or service blackouts.
The telcos have demanded that the regulator ensure a level playing field and that conventional operators should not be the only ones bearing network shutdowns’ economic and trust impact. Besides, the existing network operators have noted that Pakistan lacks dedicated anti-dumping laws for telecom services, and there should be some regulatory mechanisms that could help address such challenges in case Starlink introduces massive subsidies to disrupt the market by undercutting existing telecom and broadband providers.
Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2025
