The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority warned of intermittent internet disruptions across the country following a fault in an international submarine cable system.

These disruptions impact the national digital infrastructure, potentially slowing down business operations, government services, and personal communications for millions of users. Because Pakistan relies heavily on these undersea cables for global connectivity, a single point of failure can lead to widespread degradation of service.

The PTA said it was monitoring disruption to internet traffic caused by a fault in the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system [1]. The authority said the fault is the primary driver behind the current instability in connectivity.

This development follows previous warnings from the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited. PTCL said on May 10 that internet users across the country may experience slower connectivity due to scheduled maintenance work on an international cable [2]. While the May announcement focused on planned maintenance, the current situation involves an active fault in the SMW5 system [1].

Submarine cables are the backbone of the global internet, transporting vast amounts of data across oceans. When a cable like the SEA-ME-WE 5 suffers a fault, traffic must be rerouted through other available cables. This rerouting often creates bottlenecks, which results in the slower speeds and intermittent connectivity reported by users across Pakistan.

Officials from the PTA and PTCL continue to monitor the situation to minimize the impact on the public. The agencies said they are working to manage the traffic flow while the fault in the submarine system is addressed [1], [2].

“PTA said it was monitoring disruption to internet traffic caused by a fault in the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system.”

The reliance on a limited number of international submarine cables creates a strategic vulnerability for Pakistan's digital economy. When a major system like SEA-ME-WE 5 fails, the lack of redundant high-capacity alternatives forces traffic onto congested paths, demonstrating the need for greater infrastructure diversification to ensure national connectivity stability.