Submarine Cable Fault Near Qatar Affects Internet: PTA

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) warned on Thursday that Internet users may face disruptions nationwide due to a fault reported in an undersea cable near Qatar.

In a press release, the PTA said the fault was reported in the AAe-1 submarine cable located near Qatar, which is one of the seven cables handling Pakistan’s international Internet traffic. “Due to this Internet and broadband users may face problems,” the PTA said.

The PTA said that its teams were working on fixing the problem. “PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep telecom users informed from time to time,” the statement added.

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Pakistan has reported faults in undersea Internet cables in the past as well. Internet disruptions over the past few months have affected millions of Pakistani users, adversely affected businesses and drawn nationwide complaints.

Pakistan has 110 million Internet users. Up to 40s% lower Internet speeds have affected nearly half the country’s 241 million population. Digital rights experts, however, have cast doubts on the government’s statement about Internet disruptions in the past. Instead, they say that the government’s move to install a firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms has caused the Internet to slow down.