A new undersea internet cable, capable of providing 24 terabytes of bandwidth, is currently being installed and is expected to significantly enhance the speed and reliability of the internet across Pakistan.
Media reports indicate that the 45,000 km cable is being installed by a French company and will complement the existing seven cables, which currently provide 8 terabytes of bandwidth.
The cable will connect Pakistan to the African region, to address long-standing complaints about slow internet speeds.
Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) President Sajjad Mustafa Syed said the cable is not yet operational but is expected to be active next year.
Syed also revealed that there are four additional major internet lines in the pipeline, including infrastructure to support 5G, which will address bandwidth congestion and improve fiber connectivity to mobile towers.
“These projects, which are expected to double their capacity next year, will ensure that Pakistan’s internet infrastructure meets requirements over the next two to five years,” he added.
The government faces criticism from the technology community, digital rights groups, and freelancers over internet outages, slow speeds, installation of a national firewall, and disabling social media apps.
According to the P@SHA Chairman, Pakistan’s IT sector was incurring losses of over $1 million per hour due to frequent internet shutdowns. He explained that for every dollar the government invests in market access, a return of $49 is generated, based on trends over the past three years.
On Sunday, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Department, Syed Sajid Mehdi, advised Pakistanis to limit their use of the Internet to “important matters only” to address persistent connectivity issues. Speaking on a television programme, Mehdi likened internet congestion to traffic jams, attributing slow speeds to overuse and limited fiber-optic capacity in the country, which he said was 15% compared to 45% in India.
Earlier this month, Minister of State for ICT Shaza Fatima Khawaja informed the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology that Pakistan is in talks with Starlink, an American satellite internet group, to offer its services to the country.