Islamabad, 28 August 2024 (TDI): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Wednesday that the ongoing internet slowdown in the country could last as long as early October.
“The ongoing internet slowdown across the country is mainly due to fault in two (SMW4, AAE-1) of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally,” the PTA said in a statement.
While the repair work to the AAE-1 submarine cable had been completed, the repair work to the damaged SMW-4 cable was likely to be completed by the first week of October, the authority added.
Read More: PTA blames faulty cable for countrywide internet issues
Pakistan has been facing the worst internet slowdown – 40 percent slower than normal – since last month, while X (formerly Twitter) has remained blocked since February 2024.
While the opposition blames the slowdown on the recently installed social media firewall, the government insists it was due to the submarine cable fault.
“The internet slowdown in the country is due to a faulty submarine cable, which is expected to be repaired by August 28,” PTA Chairman Major General Hafeezur Rehman (retd) had informed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology.
Read More: Growing Firewall Rumors Blamed For Slow Internet; Petition Filed in IHC
Gen Hafeezur Rehman insisted that no firewall had been installed and that the government was upgrading its web management system.
When asked if neighbouring countries were also facing the slowdown, he said, “It’s Pakistan’s submarine cable that’s affected, not others.”
