Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Saturday that internet users across the country may experience service disruptions. The company stated that the issue is a result of submarine cable cuts in Saudi waters near Jeddah. The cuts have partially affected the bandwidth capacity of two crucial undersea cables, the SMW4 and IMEWE systems, which connect Pakistan to global networks.
Restoration Efforts and Alternative Solutions
According to the statement, international partners are working to restore the damaged links on a priority basis. Simultaneously, local teams are arranging alternative bandwidth to minimize the impact on users. “We sincerely appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding during this time,” the company added.
Data from Downdetector showed a spike in outage reports on Saturday morning, with complaints building up overnight and surging by 9 a.m. At least 16 outage reports were visible on the graph at 10:09 a.m. Earlier this year, the Africa-1 submarine cable was linked to the country’s internet infrastructure. The 10,000-kilometer cable, which has a high transmission capacity, connects Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and France. The project, approved by PTCL’s Board of Directors in November 2020 at a cost of $59.5 million, is expected to be ready for service by the first quarter of 2026.
