Internet users across Pakistan may experience slower speeds and intermittent connectivity as maintenance work will be carried out on one of the country’s main submarine cables, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited said.
According to statement issued on Monday, a scheduled repair operation will begin around 11 am Pakistan Standard Time on Tuesday to fix a faulty repeater in the undersea cable system.
The activity is expected to last up to 18 hours, during which customers could face service degradation or delays in international connectivity. “We regret the inconvenience and appreciate our customers’ patience during this essential maintenance window,” a spokesperson for the telecom operator said.
Dear Customers,
— PTCL (@PTCLOfficial) October 13, 2025
A maintenance activity is planned on one of our Submarine cables to repair a faulty repeater. The activity will start on October 14, 2025 around 11AM PST which can last for upto 18 hours. Customers will face service degradation. We regret the inconvenience please
The company clarified that alternate arrangements had been made to minimise the impact, but users might still experience slower browsing speeds and intermittent access to certain international websites during the period.
Telecom officials said normal service is expected to resume once the repeater repair and testing work is completed late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Submarine cables are a critical part of Pakistan’s internet infrastructure, carrying the vast majority of the country’s international traffic. Maintenance or faults in these cables often result in nationwide connectivity issues.
Pakistan’s internet backbone relies on multiple international submarine cable systems, including SEA-ME-WE 4, SEA-ME-WE 5, IMEWE, AAE-1, and PEACE, which connect the country to global data hubs in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Any disruption to one of these systems typically results in noticeable slowdowns, particularly in video streaming, online gaming and international call services.
In recent years, Pakistan has faced several instances of internet disruptions due to faults in undersea cables, with significant slowdowns reported in 2021 and 2023 during similar maintenance work. The latest operation is described as pre-emptive, aimed at ensuring long-term network stability and preventing unexpected outages.
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