Tech Desk 
Oct 31, 2024
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday announced that internet service in Pakistan has been fully restored after months of slow and unreliable connectivity.
The problem had emerged due to damage to the two major submarine internet cables, South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 (SMW4) and Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1), said a PTA spokesperson.
These underwater cables are very important as they connect Pakistan to the internet. Their repair is, therefore, important to restore the high-speed connectivity.
SMW4 and AAE-1 cable faults
The fault first occurred in the SMW4 cable in June and then in the AAE-1 cable in August.
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These outages resulted in a bandwidth shortfall of 1,750 Gbps, thereby reducing internet speeds and resulting in frequent connectivity issues for users across Pakistan.
According PTA spokesperson, faults in both cables have now been fully rectified, thereby placing internet services across the country back at full speed and capacity.
The PTA also disclosed that it would upgrade internet connectivity across Pakistan by adding the Pakistan East Africa Cable Express cable system next year, which would add significant capacity.
Pakistan will also receive three new undersea cables within the next two years — two from Transworld International and one from PTCL — that will enhance and expand the country's internet infrastructure.
