Tech billionaire Elon Musk confirmed on Saturday that Starlink applied to launch internet services in Pakistan but was “waiting for approval from the government.”

Musk responded to a post on X by a Pakistani user, who said Starlink internet services could “leap” Pakistan “into the future, where every citizen has the chance to connect and grow”.

“Please, let Starlink be our bridge to tomorrow,” the user urged the billionaire, who owns X and the electric vehicle company Tesla.

Later, in a second post tagging Musk, the user claimed Pakistan had “approved Starlink!”

“Now is the perfect time to bring your transformative internet service to our nation. Millions await the connectivity, education, and opportunities Starlink could offer. Please, expedite Starlink’s launch in Pakistan,” the user said.

Musk’s confirmation of his intention to launch Starlink in Pakistan comes at a time when the nation topped the list of countries that suffered the most due to internet outages in 2024.

According to Top10VPN.com, an independent VPN reviewer, the global internet disruption lasted 88,788 hours last year which caused a financial loss of $7.69 billion.

It said Pakistan was the single most affected nation with $1.62bn in losses, followed by Myanmar ($1.58bn) and Sudan ($1.12bn).

Opinion

Editorial

The way forward
Updated 12 May, 2025

The way forward

An out-of-the-box solution acceptable to Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris is the only hope for long-term peace in South Asia.
AI opportunity
12 May, 2025

AI opportunity

TIME is running out. According to the latest Human Development Report, published by the UNDP this past Tuesday,...
Ace mountaineer
12 May, 2025

Ace mountaineer

NINE summits, five to go. Sajid Ali Sadpara’s quest to fulfil his late father’s dream and elevate Pakistan’s...
Hostilities cease, at last
Updated 11 May, 2025

Hostilities cease, at last

It is Islamabad and New Delhi that will have to do the heavy lifting thesmselves to secure peace.
Second IMF tranche
11 May, 2025

Second IMF tranche

THE IMF board’s approval of the second tranche of its ongoing $7bn funding arrangement and a new climate ...
War and lies
Updated 10 May, 2025

War and lies

Media on this side of the border is also not above blame.