IT secretary, Dr. Zarar Hashim, said Thursday that the recent interruption in Pakistan Internet services due to damaged submarine cables could take four to five weeks to complete completely.
Submarine cable cuts earlier this month at the Red Sea interrupted Internet access in parts of Asia and the Middle East, although the exact cause of the incident remains without being clear. Few of affected cables directly affect Pakistan connectivity, slowing down Internet services.
Responding to the consultations regarding Internet interruptions and slow speeds, Dr. Hashim explained that repairing cables requires specialized ships.
“Three additional cables are expected within 12 to 18, which will improve Pakistan connectivity with Europe. Agreements have already been signed to take these cables to Pakistan,” he added.
The informative session was part of a meeting of the Permanent Committee and Telecom held at the Islamabad It Park. The member of the Sadiq Memon committee raised concerns about the slowness and interruption of the Internet. “If three new cables are approaching, why are there still internet problems?” Memon questioned.
This secretary replied that multiple submarine cables, from four to five in total, have been damaged on the Yemen coast, significantly interrupting regional internet connectivity.
He added that the situation has worsened due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen, which has hindered appropriate repair efforts. “This is not just one or two cables; several have been affected,” he said.
Submarine cables are one of the internet trunks, along with satellite connections and terrestrial cables. In general, Internet service providers have multiple access points and redirect traffic if one fails, although it can slow access to users.
