News
January 03, 2025
Internet Disruption Likely as Submarine Cable Develops Fault
Karachi: A submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar has developed a fault that may impact internet and broadband user experience across the country, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Thursday.
In a statement, the PTA said that a fault has been reported in the submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar — one of the seven international undersea cables connecting Pakistan to international internet traffic.
"The concerned teams are working to fix the fault. The PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep updating telecom users accordingly," the statement read.
Netizens in Pakistan have been reeling from frequent internet disruption and speed issues alongside a ban on social media platform — X (formerly Twitter) — for several months.
The issue also featured 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.
Citing internet disruption and speed problems, the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information Technology earlier in the day 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 the NA session, the Opposition Leader in the Assembly Omar Ayub strongly opposed the blocking and registration of VPNs. He also sought the constitution of a sub-committee to thoroughly review internet closure and slow speed.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Sharmila Faruqui suggested that representatives of the interior ministry should be summoned to the committee to brief lawmakers on the longstanding issue. The suggestion was also backed by another PPP lawmaker Syed Ali Qasim Gillani.
Slamming the federal government, Faruqui added that her husband was also involved in freelance business and has suffered losses due to internet issues.
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 quantum of financial losses emanating from internet closure.
In response, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima revealed that the P@SHA chairman had already informed about a loss of $8 billion to the country's IT industry.
Later, the NA body asked for an in-camera briefing by the interior minister and P@SHA chairman in its next session.
New undersea cable for Pakistan
It emerged last month that a major undersea internet cable is being laid, which is expected to considerably enhance the 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 kilometers, connects 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East by using state-of-the-art SDM1 technology with a capacity of 180Tbps.
Supported by a global consortium that includes Meta and Vodafone, the cable is expected to go live in Pakistan by Q4 2025, PTA had announced in a press release.
Installation started on December 1, 2024, as the first phase of the work. The Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) installation included the cable landing at Hawksbay, Karachi. The second phase deep-sea laying of the cable is planned to start on April 1, 2025.
Once operational the cable will provide Pakistan with 24 terabytes of bandwidth. A French company is involved in installing the 45,000-kilometre cable, Geo News reported.
The enhanced bandwidth will also improve the performance of platforms like 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. - The News
Courtesy The News
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