Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) on Saturday warned that internet services across the country could face disruptions following cuts to submarine cables near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The company said the damage affected partial bandwidth on the SMW4 and IMEWE undersea cable systems, which are critical links connecting Pakistan to global internet networks. PTCL added that international teams are working urgently to repair the damaged cables, while local teams are arranging alternative bandwidth to reduce the impact on users. “We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding during this period,” the statement read. Data from Down Detector showed a noticeable rise in outage reports early Saturday, with complaints peaking around 10:09am. Earlier this year, the Africa-1 submarine cable was linked to country internet infrastructure. The 10,000-kilometre-long cable, with high transmission capacity, connects the country to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and France. The project, approved by PTCL’s Board of Directors in November 2020 at a cost of $59.5 million, is expected to be ready for service by the first quarter of 2026.
PTCL warns cable damage near Jeddah may disrupt internet across Pakistan
