Internet users in Pakistan may face slower browsing speeds during busy hours after a fresh fault was reported in undersea cables near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) confirmed on Saturday.

Where the Problem Lies

The issue stems from damage to two major cable systems — SMW4 (South Asia-Middle East-West Asia) and IMEWE (India-Middle East-Western Europe) — that provide international bandwidth to Pakistan. With both routes affected, the country’s internet traffic is facing reduced capacity.

PTCL’s Response

PTCL, the country’s largest telecom provider, said it is coordinating with international partners to repair the fault and has already started rerouting traffic through alternative channels to ease the pressure. The company admitted, however, that users could still experience slower connections during peak evening hours.

Government Still Silent

The Ministry of Information Technology has yet to issue a statement on the disruption. Such silence has often fueled public frustration in the past, especially when outages stretch beyond a few days.

A Recurring Issue

This is not an isolated incident. Pakistan has repeatedly faced connectivity challenges due to its reliance on a handful of international submarine cables. Earlier this year, a fault in the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE-1) cable disrupted internet services nationwide for nearly two weeks, until PTCL confirmed full restoration on January 16.

Why It Matters

For a country where digital services, online education, and remote work are becoming increasingly vital, repeated breakdowns highlight the fragility of Pakistan’s internet backbone. Each fault not only slows down browsing but also raises concerns about the resilience of the country’s digital infrastructure.