Following significant criticism from online users and organizations in the tech industry regarding ongoing internet outages, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has finally addressed the situation, attributing it to a “fault in the undersea submarine cable.”
PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez-Ur-Rehman informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT that the Submarine Consortium has indicated that the internet services are being disrupted due to this cable issue, which is expected to be fixed by August 27. He mentioned that Pakistan is connected to seven fiber optic cables, with one currently damaged.
His comments come amid a backdrop of internet slowdowns and limited connectivity, which experts believe may be linked to the government’s testing of an internet firewall aimed at controlling social media content. Various organizations, including the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), have criticized the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, highlighting the negative economic effects on freelancers and the broader digital economy.
P@SHA has estimated a staggering $300 million loss due to these issues, with WISPAP Chairman Shahzad Arshad stating that businesses reliant on stable internet are now facing serious challenges that threaten their survival.
In contrast, the government has denied any wrongdoing, with State Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja attributing the slowdown to users employing virtual private networks (VPNs), claiming that this is what is causing their devices to lag. She firmly stated to the media that the government did not intentionally block or slow down the internet.
