PTA reveals timeline on fixing internet issues in Pakistan

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a statement addressing the internet slowdown affecting users nationwide.

According to the PTA, the primary cause of the disruption is a malfunction in two of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan to the global network.

“It is to inform to the general public that the ongoing internet slowdown and degradation of services across the country are due to a fault in two of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally,” the PTA said in a statement.

The AAE-1 cable has experienced a 250G outage due to rerouting between Iran and Qatar, while the SMW4 cable (1.5T) has been out of service due to faults near Karachi.

To mitigate the impact, operators are rerouting traffic on other available cables.

“Operators are re-routing traffic on other available cables to minimize the impact on internet users in Pakistan. The concerned teams are fixing the fault and the PTA is monitoring the situation till internet speeds are normalised in the country,” the PTA added.

The PTA has announced that the SMW4 submarine cable is expected to be repaired by October 2024.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan faces internet service disruptions linked to the implementation of internet firewalls at the country’s main internet gateways.