ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s internet connectivity faced yet another challenge as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported a fault in the submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar, one of the seven international undersea cables linking the country to global internet traffic.
“This is to inform the general public that a fault has been reported in the submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar,” the PTA said in a statement on Thursday.
PTA assured users that the concerned teams were working to fix the issue, adding, “PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep updating telecom users accordingly.”
The announcement follows a briefing by PTA Chairman Major General (Retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication.
Internet users in Pakistan have been reeling from frequent internet disruption and speed issues for several months.
The matter also came into debate in both houses of parliament multiple times but to no avail.
During the session, he highlighted plans to introduce four new submarine cables to bolster the country’s internet performance and address growing connectivity demands.
Pakistan has been grappling with internet disruptions recently, compounded by the blockage of social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Last month, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, emphasized the government’s focus on national security while acknowledging challenges faced by users due to internet disruption and limited spectrum availability.
PTA, last month in a statement, announced its collaboration with Transworld Associate (TWA), the local partner for the 2Africa submarine cable project, a move expected to significantly improve Pakistan’s international telecommunications infrastructure and enhance connectivity.
The initiative “will improve Pakistan’s international telecommunications infrastructure and enhance connectivity”, it said then.
Speaking at the floor of the Parliament, Shaza Fatima assured lawmakers that efforts were underway to localise security-related concerns and minimise the shutdown of internet and mobile services.
She stated that the social media restrictions were imposed following advice from the Interior Ministry.
