The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Saturday that internet service disruptions across the country have been resolved by integrating temporary bandwidth into the system.
The issue arose due to a fault in the AAE-1 submarine cable near Qatar on January 2, 2025. To mitigate the impact, an ad hoc bandwidth solution was implemented. “There is no degradation of internet services across the country now,” the PTA confirmed.
The authority assured that it is actively monitoring the restoration process for the AAE-1 submarine cable to maintain stable services during this period.
Previously, the PTA had warned users of potential disruptions following the cable fault. The AAE-1 is one of seven international undersea cables connecting Pakistan to global internet traffic.
Internet speed issues have plagued Pakistan over the past year, often attributed to submarine cable faults. However, some reports suggest possible testing of a “firewall” by authorities. The internet slowdown has disproportionately impacted freelancers, a workforce of over two million contributing significantly to the economy.
The ongoing issues have drawn criticism from various quarters, including the judiciary and political leaders. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto sarcastically questioned why undersea fibre optic cables near Pakistan seem particularly vulnerable to damage.
Pakistan’s internet speeds are among the lowest globally, ranked 100th out of 111 countries for mobile internet and 141st out of 158 countries for broadband, according to Ookla Speedtest Global Index.
In a positive development, a new undersea internet cable is being installed as part of the 2Africa Submarine Cable System. Facilitated by PTA and Transworld Associates (TWA), this project aims to significantly boost internet speed and reliability in Pakistan.
The 2Africa cable, spanning 45,000 kilometres and connecting 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, features cutting-edge SDM1 technology with a capacity of 180Tbps. Backed by a global consortium including Meta and Vodafone, the cable is expected to be operational in Pakistan by the fourth quarter of 2025.
Installation began on December 1, 2024, with the first phase involving cable landing at Hawksbay, Karachi. The second phase, deep-sea cable laying, is scheduled to start on April 1, 2025.
Once live, the cable will provide Pakistan with 24 terabytes of bandwidth, a significant upgrade from the current 8 terabytes offered by the existing seven cables. This enhanced capacity is expected to improve the performance of platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram while addressing long-standing complaints about slow internet speeds.
