Hopes run high with new undersea cable set to 'increase' Pakistan's internet speed

• New undersea cable will add 24TB bandwidth.
• P@SHA chairman says digital capacity to double next year.
• New cables and 5G rollout to resolve connectivity issues.
  

KARACHI: A major undersea internet cable is being laid, which is expected to considerably enhance internet speed and reliability. The project falls under the 2Africa Submarine Cable System, facilitated by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) through the Transworld Associate (TWA) as the landing party for the cable in Pakistan.

The 2Africa cable, stretching 45,000 kilometres, connects 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with the use of 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 announced in a press release.

Installation started on December 1, 2024, as the first phase of the work, 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.

The 45,000-kilometre cable is being installed by a French company, Geo News reported.

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 enhanced bandwidth will also improve the performance of platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

“Temporarily, for a few weeks, we faced limited internet issues in certain areas, but these have now largely been resolved,” P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed said while speaking on Geo News' programme "Geo Pakistan".

He explained that while the new cable is not yet active, it is expected to be operational next year.

Syed also highlighted that four additional major internet lines, including support for 5G, are in the pipeline and will permanently resolve connectivity issues.

“Infrastructure requires support in every area, we need 5G because of bandwidth congestion, and we also need fibre connectivity for our mobile towers. Moreover, linkages with international cables and internet networks are essential

Work is ongoing on all these fronts. The announcement for 5G has been made, fibre connectivity will follow, and with the four additional cables expected next year, our capacity will nearly double. This will ensure that our internet connectivity and infrastructure are adequately set up for the next two to five years,” he concluded.

At a convocation in Jamshoro on Monday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also called for robust legislation to ensure equitable and uninterrupted internet access.

Discussing the importance of the internet in today’s era, the PPP chairman said that fiber-optic cables and robust internet infrastructure are the future for both current and upcoming generations. He asserted that affordable and uninterrupted internet access is a fundamental right in the modern world.

Criticising internet censorship, Bilawal noted: “Senior officials in Islamabad often make uninformed decisions about blocking or slowing down internet services, disproportionately affecting the youth. We must fight for our digital rights as part of our democratic rights.”

Bilawal vowed to introduce a Digital Rights Bill in Parliament, aiming to secure affordable and unrestricted access.

“I will present a Digital Bill written by us, for us, in the National Assembly as your representative. Share your suggestions with me on Instagram, Facebook, and X,” he said.