A Breakdown
On Friday, April 27th, Pakistan experienced widespread internet outages due to damaged sea cables. These disruptions were attributed to breaks in the fiber optic cable connecting Singapore to Pakistan and Europe, found at multiple locations.
The damaged cable, crucial for connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, suffered damage near Indonesia. This significantly impacted internet connectivity, particularly from eastern routes.
Reports indicate five breaks in the underwater cable, causing major disruptions. Restoration efforts are estimated to take around a month to fully repair the damaged sections. However, both Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) and Transworld are facing challenges with eastbound traffic.
With less than 10% of internet traffic routed from the east, Pakistani consumers have faced difficulties accessing the internet. To mitigate the impact, PTCL has rerouted internet traffic from the east to alternate channels. However, customers may continue to experience issues until the fiber optic network is fully restored.