Overview
- Officials have put Starlink’s licence on hold after tests indicated its links could bypass domestic checks and expose sensitive data.
- PSARB says stakeholder consultations are complete, but the licensing framework and required safety mechanisms are still being finalized.
- Authorities fear satellite services would be harder to monitor or suspend than terrestrial internet routed through PTCL’s undersea cables.
- Five providers are seeking market entry, including Starlink, China’s SSST, OneWeb, Amazon’s Project Kuiper and Telesat, underscoring intensifying competition.
- The security review also weighs the public dispute between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk as a diplomatic sensitivity, according to officials.