By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A fault in two submarine cables will continue to disrupt Pakistan’s internet services until early October, the country’s telecom regulator said on Wednesday.
The regulator Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blamed the slowdown on a fault in the SMW-4 and AAE-1 cables, which connect Pakistan internationally.
“The ongoing internet slowdown across the country is mainly due to [a] fault in two (SMW4, AAE-1) of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally,” the PTA said in a statement.
“It is updated that [the] fault in SMW-4 submarine cable is likely to be repaired by early October 2024… Submarine cable AAE-1 has been repaired which may improve internet experience.”
Internet speeds have declined sharply in recent weeks, with speeds dropping to less than half of usual levels at times, affecting millions and disrupting businesses nationwide.
Internet users struggle to send or download media and voice notes on WhatsApp and experience slow browsing speeds even on broadband.
The slowdown follows a government crackdown on social media platforms in February ahead of the February 8 parliamentary election, which restricted access for many users.
The microblogging platform X has been blocked since the February polls due to “national security” concerns. However, the recent deterioration in internet speed has raised fresh concerns.
Pakistan has 110 million internet users, nearly half the country’s population.
The Pakistan Software House Association, which represents the country’s information technology sector, warned that the disruptions could result in losses of up to $300 million to the country’s already fragile economy. The association blamed the government’s “hasty implementation of a national firewall” for the slow internet speeds.
The Pakistan Business Council said several multinational companies were planning to relocate their back offices from Pakistan due to the internet disruptions.
The government has denied allegations that its efforts to monitor internet traffic, including a ‘firewall’, are causing the slowdown. “We are not throttling the internet,” said Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja earlier this month. “We are upgrading our web management system to cope with cyber security threats.”
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