Pakistan Faces Internet Disruptions Today Due to Submarine Cable Repairs

What’s Happening?

Pakistan’s main telecom provider, PTCL, has planned repairs on one of the country’s key submarine cables that connect it to the global internet. The maintenance kicked off today at about 11 AM local time and might stretch into the evening or longer. Users across the country, from big cities like Karachi and Lahore to smaller towns, could see their connections slow down or drop temporarily. PTCL has made it clear this is to fix a broken part called a repeater, which helps keep signals strong over long distances under the sea.

Why Now and What’s the Impact?

These cables are vital for Pakistan’s internet, carrying data from international hubs. Faults like this aren’t rare—Pakistan has dealt with them before, such as in 2021 and 2023, leading to widespread slowdowns. Today’s disruption comes at a busy time, potentially affecting remote workers, students, businesses, and anyone relying on online services. Mobile data and fixed broadband from major ISPs like PTCL, Jazz, and others might all feel the hit.

If you’re in Pakistan, it might be a good idea to handle urgent online tasks early or have backups like downloaded files ready. Reports from users on social media already note early signs of lag in some regions.

Background on Recent Outages

This isn’t the first hiccup lately. Just last month, cable cuts near Saudi Arabia caused similar problems during peak hours. Plus, over the weekend, parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi saw full mobile internet blackouts due to security measures during protests by groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). While today’s issue seems purely technical, it adds to growing frustrations over unreliable connectivity in the country.

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Pakistan is no stranger to internet woes, and today’s planned disruption highlights the vulnerabilities in its digital infrastructure. On October 14, 2025, millions of users woke up to warnings from the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) about potential slowdowns lasting up to 18 hours. This stems from essential maintenance on a submarine optical fiber cable, specifically to repair a faulty repeater—a device that boosts signals along the undersea route connecting Pakistan to international networks. The work began around 11 AM Pakistan Standard Time (PST), and while PTCL emphasizes it’s not a total blackout, the effects could ripple across all major internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile networks.

To understand the scale, consider that Pakistan relies on a handful of these undersea cables for about 90% of its international bandwidth. Systems like the South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) cables are prone to issues from natural wear, seismic activity, or even accidental damage from ships’ anchors. In this case, the fault is near Jeddah in Saudi waters, a common trouble spot. PTCL, which manages much of the country’s backbone infrastructure, coordinates with global partners for such repairs, but the process involves specialized ships and divers, making it time-consuming.

User reports started trickling in early today via platforms like Downdetector, showing spikes in complaints about PTCL and other services. Social media buzzed with frustration—posts on X (formerly Twitter) from accounts like @ncupdatespak clarified that rumors of a “complete shutdown” were overblown, but slowdowns were real. For instance, one user noted, “Aj raat he sara Internet use kar lo pakistanio, because no Internet tomorrow,” mixing humor with concern. Businesses, especially in e-commerce and remote work sectors, could lose productivity, while students might struggle with online classes.

Historically, Pakistan has faced repeated disruptions. In 2023, a similar cable fault caused days of slow internet, impacting everything from banking to social media. More recently, in September 2025, cuts in the same region led to peak-hour lags. These technical issues often overlap with non-technical ones: over the past weekend, authorities suspended 3G and 4G services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi amid TLP protests, under orders from the Ministry of Interior and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). This has fueled speculation online, with some users linking today’s maintenance to ongoing security concerns, though PTCL insists it’s purely infrastructural.

Experts point out that Pakistan’s heavy dependence on a few cables makes it vulnerable. Diversifying routes or investing in satellite backups could help, but costs are high. The PTA has pushed for improvements, but progress is slow. In the meantime, users are advised to use VPNs sparingly (as they might exacerbate slowdowns) and opt for offline alternatives where possible.

Here’s a quick look at past major disruptions in Pakistan:

Year	Cause	Duration	Impact
2021	Submarine cable fault	Several days	Nationwide slowdowns, affecting 200+ million users
2023	Repeater damage	Up to 72 hours	Disrupted streaming and business operations
September 2025	Cable cuts near Saudi Arabia	Peak hours over days	Intermittent lags in international traffic
October 2025 (Today)	Repeater repair	Up to 18 hours	Expected degradation across ISPs

This table draws from reports in outlets like The Express Tribune and ProPakistani, showing a pattern of recurring issues. Looking ahead, PTCL says this repair is preemptive to avoid bigger problems down the line. For real-time updates, check PTCL’s official channels or sites like Downdetector.

In a country where digital access is key to economic growth— with over 100 million internet users— these events underscore the need for stronger infrastructure. While today’s disruption is temporary, it’s a reminder of how fragile global connectivity can be.

Key Points:

• Internet users in Pakistan may experience slower speeds and intermittent disruptions starting around 11 AM PST on October 14, 2025, due to scheduled maintenance on a major undersea cable.
• The work, announced by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), aims to fix a faulty repeater and could last up to 18 hours, affecting services nationwide.
• This is not a complete shutdown but rather service degradation; however, it could impact daily activities like browsing, streaming, and work for millions.
• Similar issues have occurred in the past, often linked to cable faults, and authorities advise patience while repairs are underway.
• No evidence suggests this is tied to political events, though recent protests have led to separate outages in some areas.

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