Optical fibre cable cut disrupts internet services in twin cities

PTA says repair of optical fibre cable, complete restoration of services can take several hours

ISLAMABAD:

Internet services were partially disrupted in parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday after a telecom operator's optical fibre cable was cut, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said.

Mobile data and Wi-Fi services were affected in some areas of the twin cities, causing difficulties for residents. The PTA said the cable cut had caused partial disruption to the networks of some service providers.

“The internet service disruption was limited to some local and surrounding areas,” it added.

It said internet services in the central and southern parts of the country were operating normally, while some areas in the northern region had also been affected.

The PTA advised residents not to be concerned about the partial disruption, saying technical teams were working to repair the damaged optical fibre cable and restore services.

“Efforts were underway to restore internet services in the affected areas as soon as possible,” it said.

The PTA said the repair of the optical fibre cable and complete restoration of services could take several hours.

Read: PTA warns of intermittent internet issues after submarine cable fault

The PTA had previously reported disruptions to internet traffic on July 2 after a fault developed in the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system.

The regulator had said some users could experience intermittent deterioration in internet service quality and connectivity, while Transworld Associates (TWA) worked with the SMW5 consortium to identify the cause of the fault and estimate the restoration time.

Internet traffic had been rerouted through alternative international links to minimise the impact and maintain continuity of services.