ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday confirmed that it is closely monitoring internet service disruptions caused by a fault in the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system, warning that users may experience intermittent slowdowns and connectivity issues.
In a statement, the telecom regulator said the fault could temporarily affect internet service quality across parts of the country. It added that Transworld Associates (TWA) is working in coordination with the SEA-ME-WE 5 consortium to identify the root cause of the problem and determine the estimated timeline for restoring normal services.
PTA said internet traffic is being redirected through alternative international routes to minimize disruptions and maintain service continuity as much as possible while repair efforts continue.
Meanwhile, Transworld Associates also informed its customers through a text message that a technical fault had developed in one of its submarine cable systems. The company apologized for the inconvenience and assured users that its technical teams are actively working to resolve the issue and will provide updates as progress is made.
The telecom authority reiterated that it remains in close contact with all relevant stakeholders and will continue monitoring the situation until services are fully restored.
Pakistan’s international internet infrastructure received a major boost in November with the landing of the SEA-ME-WE 6 submarine cable. According to the Ministry of Information Technology, the new cable system has a total capacity exceeding 100 terabits per second (Tbps), offering one of the fastest and lowest-latency digital routes connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe.
Pakistan has been allocated 13.2 Tbps of capacity on the new cable. The ministry stated that SEA-ME-WE 6 incorporates significantly more fibre pairs and more than doubles the capacity of previous SEA-ME-WE systems, improving network resilience, traffic diversification, and connectivity across major Asia-Europe internet routes.
