Africa-1 Submarine Cable to Arrive in Karachi on Feb 22
In a major development by Digital Pakistan, high-speed internet cable is set to reach Pakistan.
The Africa-One submarine cable will reach PTCL’s Seaview landing station in Karachi on February 22, 2025.
PTCL informed the PSX of this development through its notice on Friday.
The announcement said that the historic ceremony of Pakistan’s connection with the Africa-One submarine cable is scheduled for February 22, 2025, when it will reach PTCL’s Seaview, Karachi landing site.
This development will prove to be a revolutionary step in Pakistan’s digital connectivity. PTCL, while giving an overview of the project, said that in November 2020, the company’s board of directors approved an investment of $59 million for the Africa-1 submarine cable project.
The project is designed to provide connectivity between the UAE, Europe and Africa, along with establishing multiple landing stations. PTCL said it has started annual investments in the project under its capex since 2021.
He said that by 2025, about 75 percent of the total investment has been completed in four years and the remaining investment is expected to be completed during the current year.
The project is expected to reach the Ready for Service (RFS) stage in the first quarter of 2026.
After the RFS is completed, the Africa-One submarine cable will become fully operational and the company will start generating revenue from the project, which will contribute positively to its overall financial growth.
This development comes at a time when Pakistan is facing frequent internet outages, the reasons for which include cable faults, government restrictions, and technical issues.
Last month, PTA Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Hafeez-ur-Rehman told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication that four new submarine cables were being introduced to improve internet performance in the country.
In December 2024, the PTA said in a statement that it had made “significant progress” in improving international connectivity,
including facilitating the laying of two African submarine cables in Pakistan by Trans World Associates (TWA).
At the time, the statement said that the move would improve Pakistan’s international telecommunications infrastructure and increase connectivity.
Experts believe that Africa-One and other upcoming submarine cables will further strengthen Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, reduce internet outages and improve speeds.
