PTA claims VPN usage caused internet slowdown across Pakistan

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has completed its probe into the countrywide internet slowdown and has presented a report to the Ministry of Information Technology.

The probe revealed that the increase in Virtual Private Network (VPN) usage significantly contributed to the strain on bandwidth, which lead the PTA to recommend an expansion of bandwidth to accommodate the growing internet demand.

The report included data from all telecom operators, including PTCL. It outlined the challenges faced on their networks.

The slowdown badly affected social media engagement, web browsing, and over-the-top (OTT) services as users experienced diminished performance and interruptions.

There have been reports of access issues on X (formerly Twitter), a decline in data traffic on major applications such as TikTok, and performance challenges on widely used OTT platforms.

PTCL and fixed-line operators also noted disruptions in social media services. Users faced delays in video streaming, voice and video calls, and general web browsing.

The telecom operators have acknowledged the difficulties faced. They indicated that web browsing and data services were less impacted compared to other applications.

The PTA, in its findings, underscored the critical need to increase bandwidth to mitigate the pressures resulting from the increased use of VPNs.