Undersea cable fault disrupts Pakistan’s internet, PTA says repairs underway

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Thursday that a fault in the undersea cable AAE-1 near Qatar is causing internet disruptions across Pakistan. Efforts are underway to resolve the issue, the authority said in a statement.

“This is to inform the general public that a fault has been reported in the submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar, one of the seven international undersea cables connecting Pakistan for international internet traffic. This may impact internet and broadband user experience across Pakistan,” the PTA said.

The statement added, “The concerned teams are working to fix the fault. PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep updating telecom users accordingly.”

Persistent issues

For months, internet users in Pakistan have faced sluggish speeds, difficulty downloading media on WhatsApp, and intermittent connectivity. These disruptions have been compounded by limited access to virtual private networks (VPNs), widely used by Pakistanis to access X (formerly Twitter) and other restricted platforms.

Pakistan’s internet infrastructure has struggled with recurring issues. Since 2024, the country has reported several submarine cable incidents. In April, five cable cuts were recorded near Indonesia, followed by additional SMW-4 cable faults during Eid in June. August saw simultaneous damage to the AAE-1 and SMW-4 cables.

Government oversight and public distrust

The government acknowledged in December on the floor of the National Assembly that it had intentionally imposed some internet disruptions due to security concerns. However, public trust in official explanations has waned over time. Reasons for the disruptions have ranged from technical issues to alleged excessive VPN usage.

During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology on Wednesday, representatives from the Ministry of IT and PTA faced scrutiny over the legality of internet shutdowns.

In a light-hearted moment, PTA Chairman dismissed longstanding claims that sharks were damaging undersea cables. “Unless you’re referring to something else entirely, sharks cannot damage submarine cables,” he remarked, addressing a long-running joke among Pakistani netizens.

Internet rankings

Despite connectivity issues, Pakistan’s global internet ranking has shown improvement. The country moved up from 145 to 141 in fixed broadband speeds and from 101 to 100 in mobile data rankings since July.

The PTA assured users that teams are working diligently to restore full internet functionality and that updates will be provided as the situation develops.