Pakistan is close to finalising a Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) framework to expand internet connectivity nationwide. Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced this on Tuesday. She spoke at the APT Symposium on Digital Transformation and the Universal Service Fund (USF). The framework will be finalised after consultations with relevant institutions.
The minister said the government would create a business-friendly environment for satellite internet companies. It is also developing a new business model. This would allow rural residents to become internet service providers. The initiative aims to improve access in underserved areas and create new economic opportunities.
Khawaja said Pakistan had made significant progress in expanding digital connectivity. The gender gap in mobile internet usage had fallen from 38 per cent to eight per cent. Citing the GSMA, she said Pakistan had achieved the world’s fastest progress in reducing this gap over the past two years.
She added that three new submarine internet cables had landed in Pakistan over the past two and a half years. Work is also underway on alternative routes and additional cable connections. Through the USF, more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre have been laid nationwide to improve internet infrastructure.
The minister said fibre broadband home passes had increased from fewer than three million in 2024 to over five million. Mobile towers connected to fibre had also risen from below 15 per cent to more than 19 per cent. The government aims to raise this figure to at least 60 per cent. She stressed that fibre connectivity is essential for effective fifth-generation (5G) services, introduced after the auction of 480 megahertz of spectrum in March 2026.
The government is also encouraging local entrepreneurs to provide internet services through Class Value Added Services licences. These services will operate at the district level. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs fortnightly meetings to review the National Connectivity Plan. Meanwhile, a technology-based system has delivered fuel subsidies to over 10 million people without requiring smartphones.
Khawaja said the USF had invested $1 billion and completed 158 projects. These projects have provided internet access to around 38.4 million people. She noted that 2.2 billion people worldwide still lacked internet access. In the Asia-Pacific region, around 48 per cent of the population remained unconnected. She stressed that digital connectivity was vital for education, healthcare, disaster management, economic growth and national security.
