Govt says satellite internet framework nearing completion

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Tuesday said that Pakistan is in the final stages of preparing a Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) framework for satellite internet services, Addressing the APT Symposium on Digital Transformation and the Universal Service Fund (USF), she said the framework would be finalised soon after consultations with relevant institutions. The government would provide a favourable and business-friendly environment for companies investing in the satellite internet sector, she added. The minister said Pakistan had made significant progress in expanding digital connectivity, improving internet infrastructure and narrowing the gender gap in mobile internet usage. She said the gender gap in mobile internet usage had declined from 38 per cent to 8 per cent. Citing the GSMA, she said Pakistan had recorded the world's fastest progress in reducing the gap over the past two years. Shaza Fatima said three new submarine internet cables had landed in Pakistan over the past two and a half years. Work was also underway on alternative routes and new cable connections to improve international internet connectivity. Through the Universal Service Fund, more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre had been laid across the country, she added. The number of fibre broadband home passes had increased from fewer than three million in 2024 to more than five million, the minister said. She added that the proportion of mobile towers connected to fibre had risen from less than 15pc to over 19pc. The government aimed to increase this rate to at least 60pc. The minister said Pakistan had introduced fifth-generation (5G) technology through the auction of 480 megahertz of spectrum in March 2026. She stressed that connecting mobile towers to optical fibre was essential for delivering effective 5G services. The government was also creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs to provide internet services at the district level through Class Value Added Services (CVAS) licences, she said. Work was underway on a new business model that would allow people in rural areas to become internet service providers, she added. Shaza Fatima said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired meetings every fortnight to review progress on the National Connectivity Plan. She also highlighted the use of technology to deliver public services. More than 10 million people had received fuel subsidies through a technology-based system, she said. The government had not made smartphones a requirement for receiving the subsidy to ensure that as many citizens as possible could benefit from the programme, she added. The minister said around 2.2 billion people worldwide still lacked internet access. In the Asia-Pacific region, approximately 48pc of the population remained unconnected, a figure higher than the global average. Digital connectivity was no longer a facility for a limited number of people but had become essential for education, healthcare, disaster management, economic development and national security, she said. The minister said the USF had invested $1 billion over the years to extend internet access to underserved and unserved areas of Pakistan. The organisation had completed 158 projects, providing internet access to around 38.4 million people across the country, she added.