On October 13, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that Pakistan was close to finalising a Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) framework to expand satellite internet services nationwide.
Speaking at the APT Symposium on Digital Transformation and the Universal Service Fund (USF), she said the framework would be completed after consultations with relevant stakeholders to encourage investment in the sector.
Khawaja highlighted improvements in digital connectivity, saying the gender gap in mobile internet usage had narrowed from 38 per cent to 8 per cent over the past two years, according to GSMA data. She also noted that three new submarine internet cables had arrived in Pakistan over the past two and a half years, with further routes and connections being developed.
Through the USF, more than 17,000 kilometres of optical fibre have been deployed nationwide, while fibre broadband home passes have increased from fewer than three million in 2024 to more than five million. The share of mobile towers connected to fibre has also risen from below 15 per cent to over 19 per cent, against a government target of at least 60 per cent.
The minister said Pakistan introduced 5G technology in March 2026 through an auction of 480 megahertz of spectrum. The government is also facilitating district-level internet services through Class Value Added Services (CVAS) licences and developing a model to enable rural residents to operate as internet service providers.
She said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reviewed the National Connectivity Plan every two weeks, adding that more than 10 million citizens had benefited from a technology-based fuel subsidy system that did not require a smartphone.
Highlighting the global digital divide, Khawaja said around 2.2 billion people worldwide remain without internet access, including 48 per cent of the Asia-Pacific population. She stressed the importance of connectivity for education, healthcare, disaster management, economic development and national security.
The minister added that the USF invested $1 billion in extending internet access to underserved and unserved areas, completing 158 projects and reaching approximately 38.4 million people.
