Submarine cable damage triggers internet outage nationwide
Many people, including those whose bread and butter thrives on uninterrupted internet service, in the northern and central regions of Pakistan recently suffered massive internet outages due to a technical fault in the Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) optic fiber network.
“A cut in the optic fiber has been repaired,” Amir Pasha, head of cooperate communication PTCL, said. Internet services in northern and central regions have been restored.
“We regret any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience,” he added.
⚠️ Confirmed: A nation-scale internet disruption has been registered in #Pakistan; the incident affects multiple providers including PTCL, Nayatel and StormFiber with real-time network data showing connectivity at 38% of ordinary levels 📉
📰 Previously: https://t.co/mFBehYjlnY pic.twitter.com/YAHeV3cyNM
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) August 22, 2022
A statement issued by Transworld Home, the company operating the cable, said that a nationwide disruption was caused due to a ‘fibre cut in terrestrial network’.
A senior official of IT and telecommunication ministry told that the disruption had occurred in the cable network of Transworld Associates, one of the three submarine cable operators in Pakistan.
The cable system, which was damaged at the junction of Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea near Egypt, caused disruptions in other countries as well.
The official added that repair works on land were easier as compared to tracing and fixing the damage under the sea.
The South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 5 (SEAMEWE-5) submarine cable system, commissioned in 2016, is nearly 20,000 kilometres long, extending from Marseille in France to Singapore.
Currently, there are seven submarine internet cable systems connecting to Pakistan, of which four are operated by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited, two by Transworld Associates and a new cable system that recently came online, owned by a Chinese company.
Internet is the dire need of time
According to Numan Yunus, the Internet has revolutionized way business done these days. “It has made it easier for people to start a business from home. If you have an idea, you don’t need wait until you get out of college or after graduating from college, because there are many sites that can help you begin with your own businesshe said, pointing out What was it reason why do we see young generation begins earn much earlier than before generations.
“It has made it easier for people find information about a product or service,” he said.
“It means that instead of having only one source of information, like magazines or newspapers that sometimes don’t cover everything, consumers are now access through various sources such as blogs and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook,” he said. added.
“This allows they are not just to study more about something but also give Feedback on their thoughts about should happen next and companies could improve their products on the foundation of review.”
When a state shuts down the internet, both people & economies suffer. The costs to jobs, education, health & political participation virtually always exceed any hoped for benefit. Internet shutdowns never helped any govt in Pakistan, nor in the past neither right now. #keepiton https://t.co/LWY6ngMeH8
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) August 22, 2022
Hey! My name is Mahnoor and I joined Rangeinn as the content & News Writer. Currently, I’m doing my Bachelors in International Relations.
