The telecom company announced an increased bandwidth, but Meta-related apps may experience disruptions during peak hours.
-PTCL states that the additional bandwidth has largely addressed the issue.
-Meta-related apps may face delays: PTCL.
-PTA and PTCL assure efforts for the quickest resolution.
PTCL Implements Extra Bandwidth, Meta Services May Encounter Delays During Peak Hours
By
Web Desk
|
January 10, 2025
Ethernet cables for internet connections. — Canva
PTCL has announced that the addition of extra bandwidth has significantly addressed the internet slowdown caused by the AAE-1 submarine cable issue. However, the telecom company warned that users may still experience slower performance on Meta platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, particularly during peak traffic hours.
The company expects to resolve the issue completely in the coming days and reassured the public that both PTCL and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) are working together to ensure a prompt fix.
Previously, the PTA disclosed that disruptions in internet services were due to a fault in the AAE-1 submarine cable, located off the coast of Qatar. This cable is one of several that handle Pakistan’s international internet traffic.
In response to the fault, PTA increased available bandwidth to help ease the impact. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, confirmed that efforts are underway to reroute 200 gigabytes per second of internet traffic. Additionally, 630 gigabytes per second of affected data traffic has already been redirected to alternative routes. The total fault has impacted approximately 1,000 gigabytes per second of traffic.
For over a year, Pakistan has been grappling with internet slowdowns, primarily attributed to issues with submarine cables. Some reports suggest that government experiments with network firewalls could also be contributing to the slowdown.
The internet disruptions have been especially challenging for freelancers—over 2 million workers who significantly contribute to Pakistan’s economy. Legal and parliamentary actions have been taken to address the persistent connectivity issues.
According to the Ookla Speedtest Global Index, Pakistan ranks 100th out of 111 countries for mobile internet speeds (20.61Mbps download, 8.53Mbps upload) and 141st out of 158 countries for broadband speeds (15.60Mbps download, 15.53Mbps upload).
New Submarine Cable to Improve Internet Speed and Reliability
In a positive development, the 2Africa submarine cable project is expected to improve internet speeds and reliability in Pakistan. This undersea cable spans 45,000 kilometers and connects 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, utilizing advanced SDM1 technology with a capacity of 180 Tbps.
The 2Africa cable is being implemented with the support of Meta, Vodafone, and other global partners and is expected to go live in Pakistan by late 2025. The first phase of installation began in December 2024 with cable landing at Hawksbay, Karachi, while deep-sea laying will commence in April 2025.
Once completed, the 2Africa cable will provide Pakistan with 24 terabytes of additional bandwidth, greatly enhancing the performance of Meta services such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Currently, Pakistan relies on approximately 8 terabytes of bandwidth from existing submarine cables. This new system aims to improve Pakistan’s connectivity and address long-standing issues with slow internet speeds.
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