The ongoing internet slowdown across the country is mainly due to a fault in two (SMW4 , AAE-1) of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

PTA is a statement said, “It is updated that the fault in SMW-4 submarine cable is likely to be repaired by early October 2024. Whereas submarine cable AAE-1 has been repaired which may improve internet experience.”

Last week, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom that VPNs were responsible for overloading the country’s internet services. Officials stated that one submarine cable was expected to be repaired by August 27, 2024, while another underground cable had malfunctioned and is scheduled to be fixed by October 2024.