Pakistan internet disruption: Consumers face difficulties in accessing Internet as sea fibre cables damaged

Pakistan experienced extensive internet outages on Friday (Apr 27) due to damaged sea cables. According to local media reports, the disruptions were attributed to breaks in the fibre optic cable linking Singapore to Pakistan and Europe, which were found at multiple locations.

The fibre optic cable, crucial for connecting Singapore to Pakistan and Europe, suffered damage near Indonesia, impacting internet services across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe. 

Further, reports have revealed that five breaks in the underwater cable significantly affected internet connectivity, especially from eastern routes. The restoration efforts are estimated to take around a month to fully repair the damaged sections of the fibre optic cable. However, both Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd and Transworld are grappling with issues concerning eastbound traffic.

Consumers in Pakistan have had difficulty accessing the internet since less than 10% of internet traffic is routed from the east. In order to reduce the damage, PTCL has rerouted internet traffic from the east to alternate channels. Customers may continue to have issues until the fibre optic network is fully restored.