Pakistan’s satellite internet launch in final stages, says IT minister

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Symposium, the minister said the government would provide a more conducive business environment for companies investing in satellite internet services.

She said three new submarine internet cables had landed in Pakistan over the past two and a half years.

Khawaja added that more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre had been laid through the Universal Service Fund (USF), while the number of homes passed by fibre broadband had increased from fewer than three million in 2024 to more than five million.

The minister said Pakistan had also reduced the gender gap in mobile internet use from 38% to 8%.

She said the country introduced 5G technology through a spectrum auction in March 2026. The government was also working on new licensing arrangements and business models to help local companies provide internet services in rural areas.

Khawaja further said more than 10 million people had received fuel subsidies through a technology-based system that did not require a smartphone.