Internet speed to increase in Pakistan with new cable

A new undersea internet cable, part of the 2Africa Submarine Cable System, is being laid to enhance internet speed and reliability in Pakistan.

The 45,000-kilometer cable, supported by Meta and Vodafone, will connect 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with a capacity of 180Tbps.

Managed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Transworld Associates (TWA), the cable is set to go live in Pakistan by Q4 2025.

Work began on December 1, 2024, with the Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) installation completed at Hawksbay, Karachi.

Deep-sea cable laying will commence in April 2025. Once operational, the cable will provide 24 terabytes of bandwidth, nearly tripling Pakistan’s current internet capacity, which relies on seven existing cables offering just 8 terabytes.

The increased bandwidth will improve services like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed highlighted the ongoing efforts to add four more major internet lines, including for 5G, to further improve Pakistan's infrastructure.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari emphasized the need for strong internet laws, calling uninterrupted access a fundamental right. He also criticized internet censorship and its disproportionate impact on the youth.

Richard Grenell, a close confidant of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has made an appeal to Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), to include Pakistan in the list of countries eligible for Starlink services.

Grenell’s request comes as the need for reliable internet access in Pakistan continues to grow. The country face significant challenges with censorship, including the recent ban X.