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.

The post Internet Services Restored as Submarine Cable Repairs Complete: PTCL appeared first on Techlist.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has allowed mobile phone operators to restore Internet services in various areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province because the security situation has improved.

The Ministry of the Interior has cleared the Internet connections along the regional development cooperation highways, N-30, N-85, and Awaran-Bela highways in Turbat, Kech, Awaran, Panjgur, Washuk, and Kalat cities.

Internet services and even basic telephone calls were suspended in certain areas, including the Tira Valley in the past. The Ministry of Information Technology has previously written to the Ministry of the Interior that it is the government’s vision to provide Internet services across the country.

The force majeure clause can be canceled in areas that are not seriously under the severe threats of law and order or terror attacks. A senior official of the Ministry of Information Technology said that during the Covid-19 shutdown, the pressure to restore data services in these areas was great, mainly from students who had to leave urban areas to study.

In addition, data is becoming the basic communication method for health and even business needs, the official added.

After obtaining authorization from the Ministry of the Interior, PTA has instructed telecom operators to restore Internet services in various areas in the Khyber region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and certain areas of Balochistan.

Cellular mobile operators (CMOs) only operate 2G services in most of these areas, covering basic voice and SMS transmissions, and because access to these areas is restricted, the system has not been updated.

PTA also recommends that mobile operators  to upgrade their existing infrastructure from 2G sites to 3G/4G where feasible and in accordance with their business plans, in order to provide residents in these areas with better voice and data services.

PTA has announced that it will restore and update Internet services in other regions, and will gradually restore them after receiving security clearances.

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