A disruption in Pakistan’s internet connectivity, caused by a fault in the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE-1) submarine cable near Qatar, has slowed down network speeds nationwide, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) confirmed on Friday. The outage has affected users since last night, with PTCL teams working to resolve the issue promptly.
“Due to an international submarine cable outage, you may experience slow browsing issues,” PTCL stated. “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time.”
The company assured the public that teams were “diligently” addressing the matter and were in constant communication with international teams working on the fault.
PTCL spokesperson Amir Pasha elaborated that the fault occurred near Qatar and stressed that updates were being received regularly to expedite repairs.
The AAE-1 cable, operational since 2017, is a vital internet infrastructure connecting 19 countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, and European nations like Greece, Italy, and France. In Pakistan, this cable plays a critical role in ensuring seamless connectivity for millions of users.
Internet disruptions stemming from submarine cable faults are not new to Pakistan. In 2024, users frequently experienced slowdowns attributed to issues with the same cable. Businesses and internet providers had alleged that government monitoring of internet traffic might have contributed to these disruptions. However, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) clarified that the slowdowns were due to technical faults in submarine cables.
Despite these clarifications, concerns about the reliability of Pakistan’s internet services persist. Recent data from Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index for October showed that Pakistan ranks 141 out of 158 countries for fixed broadband, with a median speed of 15.6 Mbps. For mobile data, Pakistan ranked 100 out of 111 nations, with a median speed of 20.61 Mbps.
In a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja stated that no industry had reported issues with internet connectivity. However, her remarks were met with frustration from PPP MNA Sharmila Farooqi, who expressed disappointment over what she perceived as dismissive attitudes from officials regarding ongoing connectivity issues.
For months, users across Pakistan have grappled with slow internet speeds, difficulty downloading media on platforms like WhatsApp, and intermittent disruptions. These issues have been compounded by limited access to VPNs, which many Pakistanis use to access restricted platforms such as X (formerly Twitter).
Although the government has recently acknowledged monitoring social media platforms due to security concerns, it has faced criticism for contributing to the internet’s unreliability.
The recurring challenges highlight the need for systemic upgrades to Pakistan’s internet infrastructure to reduce dependence on a limited number of submarine cables. The government and telecom operators face growing pressure to ensure reliable connectivity for users across the country. For now, millions of Pakistanis await the restoration of normal internet speeds as teams work to repair the AAE-1 cable fault.
