Pakistan Internet Users May Face Slow Speeds Until November 2

Internet users across Pakistan may face slower speeds during peak hours until November 2, 2026, as emergency repairs continue on a major international submarine cable. The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced that the work is being carried out on the AAE-1 (Asia-Africa-Europe 1) cable, specifically on the section between Italy and France. PTCL said repairs have already started and that users may notice minor service degradation, mainly during busy hours. The company appealed to customers for patience and cooperation while the work is under way. Because the affected segment lies in Europe, users are most likely to experience slower loading times when accessing websites and services hosted in European countries, particularly during evening peak hours. The AAE-1 is one of the most important routes for Pakistan's international internet traffic. Stretching about 25,000 kilometres, the system links Southeast Asia to Europe via Egypt and lands in Karachi. PTCL began its Pakistani operations on the cable in 2017, and it connects the country to Europe through landing points in Greece, Italy and France. The cable has caused disruption before. In January 2025, a fault near Qatar slowed internet speeds nationwide for nearly two weeks before PTCL announced the issue had been resolved. PTCL has not yet said whether additional backup bandwidth will be provided during the current repairs.