ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday acknowledged that the issue of the undersea internet cable fault affecting connectivity across Pakistan has not yet been fully resolved.
According to media reports, during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, the IT Secretary informed members that repairs to the damaged internet cable are still in progress under the supervision of the international consortium. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s internet traffic has been rerouted through alternative channels to maintain connectivity.
During the meeting, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja highlighted that network disruptions are also being caused by a shortage of spectrum and ongoing legal disputes. She noted that the country currently operates on 274 MHz of spectrum, which is insufficient to meet growing digital demand. The government plans to hold a spectrum auction by December or January to address the issue.
The committee also decided to summon officials from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in its next session to discuss poor mobile network coverage across the country.
A detailed briefing on the Islamabad IT Park project was also presented. The project director informed the committee that around 80 percent of the work has been completed. Minister Shaza Fatima said the project is being developed in collaboration with a Korean company, but due to delays, the Prime Minister has ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Earlier, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced that the International Cable Consortium had completed repairs on a repeater in one of its submarine cables, which had been affecting internet speeds nationwide. The repair work, which began on October 14 at 11 a.m., was successfully completed, temporarily restoring connectivity across the country.
It is reported that PTCL manages three submarine fiber-optic cable networks providing international internet connectivity to Pakistan. In total, six submarine cable systems serve the country — three operated by PTCL, two by Transworld Associates (Pvt.) Ltd., and one by Cyber Internet Services. These systems collectively have a capacity of 13 terabits per second, while Pakistan’s current usage ranges between 7 and 8 terabits per second.
