PTA Cites Another Cable Fault for Slow Internet; Fixes Expected by October

In a new revelation, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that the internet slowdown in the country is largely because of the faults in two of the seven international submarine cables. The faulty cables according to the telecom regulator are SMW-4 and AAE-1. The restoration for SMW-4 is expected to be completed by early October 2024, while the AAE-1 cable has been fixed, which may improve internet speed.

Earlier, in a detailed response to the Lahore High Court (LHC), PTA said that the internet slowdown is attributed to four key reasons. These include a damaged submarine cable, mishandling by an internet company on July 31, a cyberattack on August 15, and increased VPN usage.

Meanwhile, recent reports indicate that internet speeds have fallen to less than half of their usual capacity in some areas of the country. This slowdown has led to widespread internet disruption, affecting millions of users and impacting businesses.

The Pakistan Software House Association (P@SHA) has warned that the internet disruptions could result in a $300 million loss to the fragile Pakistani economy. It criticized the government for its “hasty” implementation of a national firewall, which they argue has worsened the connectivity issues. In response, the government has denied that the national firewall is responsible for the slowdown and cited other reasons.

Also read:

New Report Challenges Govt &; PTA Blame on VPNs for Internet Slowdown