Internet Disruptions due to Fault in Submarine Cable: PTA

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday said that internet and broadband users may experience disruptions as submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar developed fault.

The PTA reported a fault in the submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar. This cable is one of the seven international undersea cables connecting Pakistan for international internet traffic.

*Notification by the PTA about the fault in the submarine cable near Qatar [Instagram/@ptaofficialpk]*

“The concerned teams are working to fix the fault. The PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep updating telecom users accordingly,” it added.

Netizens in Pakistan have been reeling from frequent internet disruption and speed issues alongside ban on social media platform — X (formerly Twitter) — for several months.

The matter also came into debate in both houses of parliament multiple times but to no avail.

The disruption also resulted in financial losses to the country’s IT industry as well.

Internet Disruptions Spark Parliamentary Debate

Citing internet disruption and speed problems, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology earlier today sought an in-camera briefing of the interior minister after government and opposition lawmakers debated the matter, including a potential ban on virtual private networks (VPNs).

During today’s session, Opposition Leader in the NA Omar Ayub strongly opposed blocking and registration of VPNs. He also sought constitution of a sub-committee to thoroughly review internet closure and slow speed.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Sharmila Faruqui suggested summoning representatives of the interior ministry to brief lawmakers on the longstanding issue. Another PPP lawmaker, Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, backed the suggestion.

Faruqui slammed the federal government and added that internet issues have caused losses for her husband, who is also involved in freelance business.

Meanwhile, NA body’s Chairman Syed Amin-ul-Haque said that they should get a briefing from the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) chairman to determine the financial impacts due to the internet closure.

In response, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima said that the P@SHA chairman had already informed about a loss of $8 billion to the country’s IT industry.

Haque said that the government had also set a target of $15 billion IT exports. He stressed the government to bring improvements to the system for uninterrupted internet services for the nationals.

Later, the NA body summoned an in-camera briefing of the interior minister and P@SHA chairman in its next session.

Also See: Pakistan’ Policy About VPNs Threatens Online Freedom

New undersea cable for Pakistan

Last month, reports emerged that TWA began laying a major undersea internet cable. The cable is expected to considerably enhance internet speed and reliability.

The project falls under the 2Africa Submarine Cable System, facilitated by the PTA through the Transworld Associate (TWA) as the landing party for the cable in Pakistan.

The 2Africa cable, stretching 45,000 kilometres, connects 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with the use of state-of-the-art SDM1 technology with a capacity of 180Tbps.

The global consortium, which includes Meta and Vodafone, supports the cable. PTA announced in a press release that it expects the cable to go live in Pakistan by Q4 2025.

Installation started on December 1, 2024, as the first phase of the work, Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) installation included the cable landing at Hawksbay, Karachi. They plan to start the second phase of the deep-sea laying of the cable on April 1, 2025.

Once operational the cable will provide Pakistan with 24 terabytes of bandwidth. Geo News reported that a French company is installing the 45,000-kilometre cable.

The enhanced bandwidth will also improve the performance of platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

Currently, Pakistan relies on approximately 8 terabytes of bandwidth provided by seven existing cables. The new system, connecting the African region to Pakistan, aims to improve connectivity and address long-standing complaints of slow internet speeds.

This news is sourced from Geo and is intended for informational purposes only.

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South Asia Times

Internet Disruptions due to Fault in Submarine Cable: PTA