Pakistan’s international internet capacity has received a major upgrade following the activation of the South-East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE 6) submarine cable system, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced on Saturday.
The new 19,200-kilometre fibre-optic network connects Pakistan to key global digital hubs from Singapore to France, significantly improving the country’s online speed and network resilience.
According to the ministry, SEA-ME-WE 6 is designed to deliver over 100 terabits per second (Tbps) of total system capacity, making it one of the highest-capacity and lowest-latency routes linking Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe.
Pakistan Receives 13.2 Tbps — 4 Tbps Activated Immediately
Under the deployment plan, Pakistan has been allocated 13.2 Tbps, out of which 4 Tbps has already been activated, marking one of the most substantial bandwidth boosts in recent years.
The additional capacity is expected to enhance the performance of:
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Cloud services
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Data centres
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Fintech platforms
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E-commerce businesses
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Streaming services
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Digital enterprises
Officials say this upgrade will significantly strengthen Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and help support the rapidly growing online economy.
Higher Capacity & Stronger Resilience
The SEA-ME-WE 6 system includes more fibre pairs and double the capacity of earlier SEA-ME-WE networks, ensuring improved resilience on high-traffic Asia–Europe data routes.
The ministry added that the system offers:
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Geo-diversified crossings through Egypt
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Enhanced fault protection
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Faster scalability
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Lower operational costs for telecom operators
These features contribute to greater redundancy for global internet connectivity and add a critical new layer to Pakistan’s digital backbone.
Recent Submarine Cable Developments
Earlier this year, in February 2025, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) successfully landed the Africa-1 submarine cable in Karachi, further strengthening the country’s international connectivity corridor.