Internet services back to normal in Pakistan

Infrastructure resilience being monitored closely.

Pakistan's internet services are now operating normally following a disruption involving an international submarine cable system.

"The fault affecting the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system has been rectified," the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Friday.

"The submarine cable is now fully operational, and internet services across Pakistan have been restored to normal operating capacity."

The fault, which was reported in the first week of July, was not explained. At the time, Pakistani connectivity provider Transworld Associates coordinated with the SMW5 Consortium to identify the fault's cause.

PTA noted: "During the restoration process, internet traffic was rerouted through alternate international links to mitigate the impact on users and maintain service continuity to the maximum extent possible.

"PTA continues to closely monitor the resilience and performance of Pakistan's international connectivity infrastructure to ensure the reliable, secure, and uninterrupted provision of telecommunications and broadband services nationwide."

According to 2025 figures, there are 200 million telecom subscribers in Pakistan, with broadband subscription amounting to 150 million.

Earlier this year, telcos in the country began rolling out their 5G commercial services, marking the beginning of Pakistan's 5G era.