By Ayesha Saba

Pak Datacom Limited (PDL) has proposed a more resilient satellite-connectivity model in which international high-throughput satellite services complement Pakistan’s national satellite capacity, as the company moves to migrate around 500 Ku-band links from ageing infrastructure to a higher-throughput platform.

According to a document available with Wealth Pakistan, PDL said that in providing satellite services through YahClick, avoiding exclusive dependence on a single satellite platform, gateway, or hub would provide an additional layer of resilience and help ensure the continuity of critical communications.

The company maintained that an alternative gateway could strengthen redundancy in the event of disruption to the primary satellite infrastructure while preserving national satellite capability as the core of the country’s communications architecture.

The strategic recommendation comes as PDL works to address connectivity requirements arising from the end of operational life of PAKSAT-1R and capacity limitations encountered during migration to the replacement satellite.

According to the document, PDL had been using PAKSAT-1R bandwidth for satellite services in Standard Ku and C bands. When PAKSAT-1R reached the end of its operational life, the company was informed that the required Standard Ku-band capacity could not be fully accommodated on PAKSAT-MM1.

PDL continued using MM1 capacity where available, including 12.5 MHz of C-band, while options were considered for links affected by constrained Standard Ku-band availability.

One alternative involved migration to the Low Ku band. However, the document states that this would require the replacement of complete terminal equipment for around 500 links.

It said PakSat initially indicated that it would provide the required Low Ku-band equipment but later said it was unable to supply it, as it was not readily available and would require specialised procurement or customised production.

Against this backdrop, PDL considered migrating the affected links to another satellite platform. YahClick, with which PDL has had a commercial arrangement since 2016, was considered for the approximately 500 links.

The company also cited changing customer requirements as an important technical consideration. Several clients now require speeds exceeding 30 Mbps, according to the document, making high-throughput satellite services better suited to such requirements than the proposed Low Ku-band solution.

The commercial implications are also significant. PDL said around 350 government-sector customers could be affected by a shift to the MM1 Low Ku band.

Given the higher associated costs, the company cautioned that some customers could obtain the same YahClick service from competing operators, potentially resulting in the loss of customers and revenue for PDL without providing an additional security benefit. It argued that any restriction imposed on YahClick should therefore apply uniformly across operators.

On the regulatory side, PDL said YahClick services are being provided through authorised arrangements originating from a PTA no-objection certificate issued to Redtone for YahSat services in February 2016.

The company said it subsequently completed the relevant requirements, including a memorandum of understanding, reseller agreement and authorisation for providing YahClick services, while the PTA was informed about the arrangement.

Regarding the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB), the document states that the implementation and registration framework remains under development.

PDL said that if a specific NOC is determined to be applicable to its arrangement, it would initiate the prescribed formal process.

The company also noted that more than 4,000 YahSat-related satellite links are currently serving government and non-government organisations in Pakistan. Of these, PDL provides around 350, while other satellite service providers provide more than 600 links to government-owned organisations.

Credit: INP-WealthPk