When will Pakistan’s Internet speed return to normal? PTA clarifies

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Wednesday that internet services in Pakistan are expected to remain sluggish until “early October” as repairs to the submarine cable responsible for slow Internet speed are expected to be completed by then.

Internet speeds have plummeted over the past month amid reports that the government is installing a firewall to regulate social media. Users have faced difficulties transferring or downloading media and voice notes via WhatsApp when connected to mobile data and have experienced slow browsing speeds even on broadband.

Earlier, internet service providers (ISPs) blamed the government, stating that excessive monitoring of internet traffic was causing the slowdown of digital services, which has taken a toll on those connected to the digital economy. However, Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government was upgrading its “web management system” to address cybersecurity threats, emphatically denying that the government was “throttling” the internet.

Last week, the PTA claimed that the internet slowdown was caused by a faulty submarine cable while dismissing allegations that the government and the regulator were installing a firewall.

Also read more: More than 20,000 VPN service providers registered with PTA

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the PTA said that the cyber slowdown was due to two submarine cables, one of which is yet to be repaired. “The ongoing internet slowdown across the country is mainly due to a fault in two (SMW4, AAE-1) of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally.

“It is updated that the fault in the SMW-4 submarine cable is likely to be repaired by early October 2024,” the PTA said. “Submarine cable AAE-1 has been repaired, which may improve the internet experience,” the PTA added.

A week ago, PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman had stated that the damaged submarine cable would be repaired by August 27. He made this claim before a National Assembly committee, where he faced tough questions from both treasury and opposition lawmakers.

Amnesty International has also urged Pakistani authorities to show greater transparency regarding the nationwide internet slowdown and the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies.