Internet Services Restored as Submarine Cable Repairs Complete: PTCL
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Thursday that internet services across the country are now “fully operational” following the complete restoration of the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE-1) submarine internet cable.
The AAE-1 cable spans 25,000 kilometers, connecting multiple countries including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, and France.
Throughout 2024, internet users in Pakistan faced significant slowdowns and disruptions due to issues with the AAE-1 cable. On January 3, PTCL had assured customers that its teams were “diligently” working to resolve the connectivity problems caused by the subsea cable fault, which had slowed down network speeds nationwide.
The situation saw some relief a day later when IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja stated that around 80% of the bandwidth shortfall had been recovered by rerouting traffic through alternative cables. Despite this effort, no exact timeline for the repair of the AAE-1 cable was initially provided.
Now, with the cable fully restored, PTCL issued a statement affirming the resolution of internet slowness.
“PTCL resolves internet slowness caused by the AAE-1 submarine cable outage in record time. Internet services are now fully operational and browsing is smooth,” said a PTCL spokesperson.
The company highlighted that the additional bandwidth it had deployed during the disruption minimized the impact on users. It also noted that services on platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram had remained “fully functional” for a seamless experience.
The statement concluded with an acknowledgment of the collaborative effort:
“Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and PTCL teams worked tirelessly to restore full connectivity. PTCL thanks customers for their patience and understanding during the restoration process.”
With the AAE-1 cable back in operation, internet users across Pakistan can now enjoy uninterrupted and reliable connectivity once again.