ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), has confirmed that two of the seven submarine cables connecting the country to the global internet have developed faults, leading to widespread internet disruptions. This announcement follows earlier reports attributing the disruptions to a single cable fault.
In a statement released on Thursday, the PTA detailed that one of the affected cables experienced a 250GB outage due to rerouting issues through Iran and Qatar. The second cable sustained damage near Karachi, further compounding the problem. To mitigate the impact, telecom operators are rerouting traffic through the remaining operational cables to maintain service continuity for users. The PTA assured that technical teams are actively working to resolve the issue, and the situation is being closely monitored until normal internet speeds are restored. Users will be promptly informed of any significant updates.
The confirmation of these cable faults comes just a day after the PTA attributed internet service disruptions to a fault in the submarine cable system. The disruptions had sparked widespread concern, especially as they coincided with the implementation of a National Firewall System (NFS) designed to manage social media content.
During a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, PTA Chairman Major General (retired) Hafeez Ur Rehman addressed concerns over persistent internet issues. He clarified that while the NFS had indeed been installed as part of a government initiative from the PTI era, the recent disruptions were primarily due to the submarine cable faults. Rehman added that the fault is expected to be cleared by August 27.
The PTA chairman also informed the committee that the NFS installation was approved by the federal cabinet in October 2020 during the PTI’s tenure. However, due to financial problems, the project delayed. He reassured the panel that the firewall’s installation aligns with government directives to control social media content and enhance national security.
On Wednesday, the PTA provided further details to the Lahore High Court (LHC), citing four factors contributing to the recent internet service disruptions. In addition to the submarine cable faults, an error by an internet service provider on July 31 and a cyberattack on India’s National Day, August 15, further impacted internet speeds. The excessive use of VPNs was also identified as a factor affecting performance. The LHC is currently hearing a petition filed against these unannounced disruptions.
