Pakistan: Suffering from internet crisis, provincial govt mulling over holding talks with Elon Musk's Starlink

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], January 12(ANI): Amid ongoing internet disruptions across Pakistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is considering reaching out to tech mogul Elon Musk to address the severe slowdown in internet speeds affecting the region, as reported by Geo News.

Shafqat Ayaz, the Special Assistant to the KP Chief Minister, revealed that the provincial government is also exploring other avenues to resolve the issue, particularly as the IT sector has been significantly impacted. "There is an internet issue in KP, but the reasons behind it remain unclear," Ayaz stated.

The internet crisis in Pakistan has persisted for months, with authorities frequently attributing the disruptions to faults in submarine cables. However, there are growing speculations that the government may be experimenting with an internet "firewall," contributing to the ongoing slowdowns.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, confirmed that his satellite internet service, Starlink, is awaiting approval from the Pakistani government, according to Geo News.

Musk made the announcement on his official X account, where he stated, "We are waiting for approval from the government." This came after a conversation with Pakistani social media activist Sanam Jamali, who urged Musk to expedite Starlink's launch in the country. Jamali emphasized that millions of people in Pakistan are eager for the connectivity, educational opportunities, and economic growth that Starlink could provide.

Pakistan's Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, also confirmed that the government has been in talks with Starlink to bring its services to Pakistan. During a Senate Standing Committee meeting on IT and Telecommunication, Khawaja assured that discussions are ongoing to introduce Starlink's satellite-based internet services to the country.

As millions of Pakistanis continue to struggle with unreliable internet, Starlink's potential launch could offer a much-needed solution, providing stable, high-speed internet through satellite technology, bypassing the issues with terrestrial infrastructure, the report added. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)