The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed that a fault in a submarine cable is responsible for the recent internet outages in the country. The PTA Chairman, Hafiz Rahman, revealed this information during a briefing to the Standing Committee on Information Technology.
The damaged cable carries 7.5 terabits of data to Pakistan, significantly impacting internet services. Repair efforts are underway and are expected to be completed by August 27. The PTA Chairman clarified that the disruption is specific to Pakistan’s cable and not a global issue.
VPN Controversy and Firewall Implementation
The State Minister for IT, Shaza Fatima, previously claimed widespread VPN usage contributed to the disruptions. The government’s implementation of internet firewalls to monitor and filter traffic has been linked to the issues. While firewalls can control the content, authorities argue that they also help trace objectionable material.
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