ISLAMABAD: The internet services across Pakistan may experience temporary disruptions following a fault reported in undersea cables near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL).
The fault has partially affected two major submarine cable systems, the South Asia-Middle East-West Asia (SMW4) and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE).
As a result, users in Pakistan could face a decline in service quality, particularly during peak usage hours. Furthermore, the company assured subscribers that measures are being taken to reduce the impact on connectivity.
In this sense, the PTCL’s international partner organisations are currently working to restore the affected systems on a priority basis. In addition, PTCL’s local technical teams are arranging alternate bandwidth to minimise disruptions for customers across the country.
This is not the first time that Pakistan has faced service interruptions due to submarine cable issues. Earlier in January, a fault was reported in the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE-1) submarine cable near Qatar, which affected internet and broadband services nationwide.
Moreover, the AAE-1 system, which connects multiple regions, has experienced repeated faults in 2024, underlining the challenges of ensuring uninterrupted global connectivity. On the other hand, industry experts mention that Pakistan, like many countries in the region, relies heavily on a handful of submarine cable systems to maintain stable internet services.
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Any damage or disruption to these undersea networks can have a vital impact on both individual users and businesses, especially in an era where digital connectivity is critical to daily operations.
