ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is close to finalising a regulatory framework for Fixed Satellite Services (FSS), paving the way for satellite-based internet services in the country, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the APT Symposium on Digital Transformation and the Universal Service Fund (USF), the minister said the framework would be completed following consultations with relevant institutions. She added that the government intended to create a business-friendly environment to attract investment in the satellite internet industry.
Highlighting progress in the country’s digital infrastructure, Shaza Fatima said Pakistan had expanded internet connectivity, strengthened telecommunications networks and made progress in reducing the gender gap in mobile internet use.
She said the gap between men and women in mobile internet usage had fallen from 38 per cent to 8 per cent. Citing the GSMA, she said Pakistan had achieved the fastest improvement globally in reducing this disparity over the preceding two years.
She also revealed that three submarine internet cables had reached Pakistan over the past two and a half years. Additional international connections and alternative cable routes were being developed to improve connectivity and strengthen network resilience.
Through the Universal Service Fund, more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre have been installed nationwide. The number of homes covered by fibre broadband infrastructure has also risen from fewer than three million in 2024 to over five million, she said.
The proportion of mobile towers connected to fibre has increased from below 15 per cent to more than 19 per cent. The government aims to raise this figure to at least 60 per cent, according to the minister.
Pakistan also introduced fifth-generation (5G) technology following the auction of 480 megahertz of spectrum in March 2026. Shaza Fatima stressed that extending fibre connectivity to mobile towers would be crucial to improving the performance of 5G networks.
The government is also working to expand internet services beyond major urban centres. Under the Class Value Added Services (CVAS) licensing framework, local entrepreneurs are being encouraged to establish internet services at the district level. A separate business model is being developed to enable residents of rural communities to become internet service providers.