File photo of fiber optic cable
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday warned that “some internet users” in the country may experience slower speeds early on Thursday morning (April 21) while maintenance work is carried out on the international submarine cable that provides internet services to Pakistan.
“A power reconfiguration activity on a section of the international submarine cable, SMW4, will be undertaken on April 21, 2022 from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.,” the regulator said in a statement. “This may cause some internet users to experience downgraded speeds during the mentioned time only,” it added.
According to the PTA, it was taking alternate measures to meet capacity requirements and ensure uninterrupted internet services to all users, with an intent to “return to full functionality” as quickly as possible. “The availability of internet services will be as usual throughout the country,” it added.
Faults in the submarine cable that powers services in Pakistan have disrupted speeds nationwide several times, with the most recent instance occurring in February when a cut in the TransWorld cable degraded internet speeds. Earlier, a fault in the AAE-1 cable during December 2021 had also slowed down internet traffic during peak hours.