Internet disruptions occurred due to submarine cable fault, claims PTA

Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman on Wednesday attributed the recent internet disruptions across the country to a fault in the submarine cable.

The meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information Technology was held under the chairmanship of Syed Aminul Haque.

The committee members expressed their strong disapproval at the absence of Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) officials.

MQM-P lawmaker Syed Aminul Haque stated that the CEO or Chairman of  PTCL must explain the reason for their absence in the next meeting.

The committee members also expressed indignation at the absence of Special Communication Organisation (SCO) chief General Omar Ahmad Shah in the standing committee.

Chairman PTA briefed the committee members on internet disruption, the closure of social media apps, and weak signals across the country.

During the meeting, he stated that the former prime minister Imran Khan’s cabinet suggested installing a firewall during a meeting on October 22, 2020.

In response, the PTI MNA engaged in a heated debate with the Chairman PTA, saying that Imran Khan had refused to install a firewall in the system.

Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman explained that the internet slowed down for six to seven days due to a technical fault in the submarine cable.

He stated that the fault is expected to be fixed by August 27, but it could take longer.

According to him, a committee is working with telecom companies to resolve the issue. 

Chairman PTA denied that a firewall, an internet monitoring system, or any new technology is being planted, saying that the authorities are upgrading the existing web management system.

Pakistan Software Houses Association stated that the IT industry incurred a $300 million loss due to intermittent network outages.