PTA says internet services restored nationwide

• Defects in two underwater cables caused internet disruption.
• The restoration removes the 1750 gbps shortfall.
• Further expansions are planned, with three new cables.

Internet services have been restored countrywide following the successful repair of the SMW4 underwater cable defect, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

As per The News, the PTA claimed that internet services had been restored, after an outage of around 4-month long brought on by defects in two underwater cables — the SMW4 (in June) and AAE1 (in August).

The restoration removed the 1750 gbps shortfall. This follows the addition of the Pace cable in 2023, which enhanced capacity. 

Further expansions are planned, with three new cables from Transworld International (2) and PTCL (1) set to join the system within the next two years.

Pakistan has been suffering from slow internet for months now and several social media outages have also been witnessed, frustrating the masses.

The country's internet speeds are woefully behind international standards, threatening to leave the country in the dust of the global digital economy.

Since February, access to X has been restricted. Recently, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat have also become accessible only via VPNs.

Essential functions, including downloading files and sending voice notes, face disruptions, underscoring a concerning regression in digital connectivity.