ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has identified several factors causing slow internet speeds in Pakistan. These include limited spectrum availability, delayed Fiber to the Home (FTTH) deployment, and Right of Way (RoW) constraints. Additional causes include frequent power outages, a low fiber-to-tower ratio, and incidents of theft and vandalism. The ministry emphasized that no single factor is responsible for internet slowness; rather, multiple challenges need resolution.
Excessive VPN usage also contributes to degraded speed and poor user experience. Most traffic routes through international networks instead of local CDNs and Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), adding to latency issues.
Interruptions in international submarine cables have further impacted the performance of internet and social media applications. However, no major issues are currently reported in overall internet connectivity. The utilization of submarine cables has now reached 10 Tbps, compared to 8Tbps last year.
Moreover, PTA licensees are expanding submarine cable routes, aiming to improve the quality and redundancy of internet services. The Government of Pakistan has also started the process of releasing additional spectrum. A total of 597 MHz (over 200% of existing spectrum) in multiple bands is prepared for the upcoming spectrum auction. This will boost mobile broadband speed, capacity, and quality nationwide.
Several measures have been taken to improve internet access:
- Infrastructure Upgrades
- Installation of 12,000 new sites in the past six years.
- Upgrading existing 2G sites to 4G.
- Deployment of advanced technologies such as sector splitting and massive MIMO.
- Introduction of VoWiFi and VoLTE.
- Phasing out 3G services to optimize spectrum use.
- Implementation of active infrastructure sharing.
- PTA has enforced aggressive rollout obligations in new and renewed licenses.
- A YoY increase of 3% population per annum per province to be covered (445 sites annually).
- Launch of the National Roaming Facility along the Makran Coastal Highway and other remote areas.
- Additional spectrum reserved for upcoming 5G technologies.
- Nationwide analysis of OSS KPIs.
- Deployment of five new submarine cables: Africa-1, 2Africa, Sea-Me-We 6, Makran Gulf Gateway-1, and PEACE.
These steps are part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance internet speed, access, and digital infrastructure across Pakistan.