Pakistan’s Internet Still Sluggish Despite Recovery Efforts

While Pakistan’s internet providers have begun rerouting traffic through China’s land-fiber routes, users across the country are still facing slow browsing speeds and patchy connectivity. The situation follows Monday’s major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage and Tuesday’s submarine cable fault that disrupted nationwide connectivity.

Slow Recovery Despite Rerouting Efforts

According to reports, several internet service providers (ISPs) have shifted their traffic to overland routes through China to bypass the damaged submarine cable. The step has helped stabilize connectivity in some regions, but overall speeds remain below normal.

Industry experts believe that although rerouting has temporarily eased the pressure, Pakistan’s internet service still lacks sufficient redundancy to handle such large-scale disruptions smoothly. The exact fault location in the PEACE submarine cable has yet to be identified, and repairs may take several days.

Downdetector Still Reporting Complaints

Online monitoring platforms like Downdetector show that complaints from users continue to rise. Both PTCL and StormFiber customers are reporting slow speeds, timeouts, and occasional blackouts.

These spikes highlight that while partial recovery is underway, full restoration is still far off. Many users on social media have voiced frustration over poor speeds, with some reporting that even simple tasks like video calls or online payments are being delayed.

Users Continue to Face Difficulties

Internet slowdowns^[1] have impacted businesses, freelancers, and students across major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Online classes, video conferences, and digital services continue to experience lag.

Cybernet previously reported “network congestion” on its backbone routes, while PTCL confirmed that international links were under maintenance due to the cable fault. Neither company has yet announced a confirmed timeline for full recovery.

Until then, users may continue to experience slower speeds, especially during peak hours. The shift to China’s fiber network is a stopgap, not a permanent fix.