Pakistan's internet to remain slow into October, regulator says

 iSLAMABAD — 

As the repairs to a damaged underwater internet cable continue, the slow internet speeds that have been frustrating Pakistanis for several weeks may continue for more than a month, according to an announcement made by the country's telecom regulator on Wednesday.
Since July at the very least, internet speed and connectivity have been inconsistent across a significant portion of Pakistan, and users are having an increasingly difficult time accessing popular messaging and social networking applications.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) stated that it is anticipated that the repairs to the malfunctioning cable will be finished by the beginning of October. It is one of two cables, according to the authorities, that required repairs, and the cable in question is SMW-4.
It is anticipated that the problem with the SMW-4 submarine cable will be fixed by the beginning of October 2024. According to the brief statement, the submarine cable AAE-1 has been restored, which may result in an improvement in the quality of the internet experience.
Internet service in Pakistan is provided via seven cables that go beneath the ocean. In the middle of June, the regulator reported that there were issues with the SMW-4 cable.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Limited, also known as PTCL, is recognized as the landing party for the majority of the seven international internet cables. This includes the two cables that have had technical difficulties. An overwhelming majority of the shares in the national telecom carrier are owned by the government of Pakistan.

Conflicting statements

In response to the growing outrage of the general public, officials have published a number of comments in an attempt to justify the decline in service.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the state minister for information technology, stated earlier in the month of August that the slowdown across the country was due to the rising use of virtual private networks (VPNs) by Pakistanis. She refuted the idea that the government was purposefully slowing down the speed of the internet.
During a press event that took place in Islamabad on August 18, Khawaja stated, "I am able to say it under oath that the government of Pakistan did not block the internet or slow it down."
In the latter part of the month, the head of the PTA informed lawmakers that the problem was caused by a defective submarine cable and that it will be fixed by the 28th of August.
During this time, the secretary for the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication informed a Seate committee that the issue with accessing specific app capabilities was something that was on the end of mobile data providers.

In spite of the fact that the PTA made reference to two damaged cables in its statement on Wednesday, a lawyer for the PTA told the Islamabad high court this week that it is possible that a third cable is also damaged.

‘Firewall’

Business community and internet service providers blamed the slump in services on the government’s efforts to implement a “firewall.” Speaking to VOA in late July, Khawaja confirmed that a firewall was being installed. However, the IT minister claimed the tool was meant to strengthen cybersecurity and not to control free speech. Still, after a Senate committee hearing in mid-August, Khawaja told the news media the government was simply upgrading an older “web management system.” The junior minister, currently the top IT official, has repeatedly accused the media of blowing the “firewall” issue “out of proportion.”

A source who is aware with the execution of the "firewall" has stated that the tool, which was purchased from China and has been in the process of being installed by the Ministry of Defense since May, is currently being utilized at cable landing stations in Pakistan. These stations are located at the point where the undersea internet data cable interfaces with the internet system of a country.
The so-called "firewall," which is also being put on the servers of major internet providers, has the capacity to identify and impede down digital communication between individual users.
The Pakistan Software Houses Association, which is an industry association consisting of software developers, gaming businesses, and information technology companies, issued a statement in which it condemned the "grave consequences of the hastily implemented firewall." The statement also stated that the poor internet speed has resulted in losses of more than $300 million for the country's young information technology industry.
According to the statement that was issued earlier in the month of August, "These disruptions are not merely inconveniences but rather a direct and aggressive assault on the economic viability of the industry."
Other organizations, such as the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan, have reported that people are quitting smaller internet service providers due to the slow internet speeds offered by these companies.
There have been challenges brought before the high courts in Lahore and Islamabad about the deployment of the firewall as well as disruptions to the internet.
An influential journalist from Pakistan named Hamid Mir submitted a petition to the Islamabad High Court, seeking that the court investigate the scope and purpose of the firewall. For the aim of sustaining one's livelihood, he stated that having access to the internet is a fundamental right.
After expressing his dissatisfaction with the "conflicting responses" provided by the authorities this week, the highest judge in the court sought a comprehensive study on the factors that bring about disruptions in connectivity. An additional hearing is planned to take place on September 3rd.