Information Technology (IT) Secretary Zarrar Hasham has informed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication that restoration work on damaged undersea internet cables could take four to five weeks.

In response to a question about slow internet and service outages across the country, Hasham said that multiple cables had been severed off the Yemeni coast, resulting in connectivity issues. “Not just one or two but four or five cables have been cut,” he told the meeting held at Islamabad’s IT Park.

“The issue is serious considering the situation in Yemen. Two cables coming to Pakistan have been affected,” Hasham said and added that bandwidth had been temporarily diverted to other networks.

“Repairing the cables may take four to five weeks,” he said, noting that special boats would be required to carry out the work.

Hasham also confirmed that three new cables were coming in the next 12 to 18 months, which would provide connectivity to Pakistan from Europe. “Agreements have been made to bring these three cables to Pakistan.”

Damage to undersea cables has caused widespread disruptions in Pakistan’s internet services. The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) warned earlier this month that internet service during peak hours may be impacted by submarine cable cuts in Saudi waters. 

Partial bandwidth capacity on the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) and South Asia-Middle East-West Asia (SMW4) networks has been affected by the damage.