Pakistan to get Improved Internet Speed with new submarine cable by 2025
A significant upgrade to Pakistan’s internet infrastructure took place on Tuesday with a new modern subsea cable connection. This 45,000-kilometer-long global internet network is known as the largest cable project in the world. The initiative is part of Facebook Meta’s “Africa-2” cable project, of which Pakistan is also a participant. This project aims to significantly enhance internet speeds across the country and eventually address long-standing complaints of slow connectivity.
Pakistan has access to about 8 terabytes of bandwidth via seven submarine cables. The new 2Africa Cable connects 46 landing stations in Europe, Africa and Asia and is expected to become operational in Pakistan by the fourth quarter of 2025. Once active, Pakistani users can access one of the fastest 5G Internet services worldwide.
IT experts anticipate a substantial increase in internet speeds, with the new cable boasting a capacity of 180 terabits per second. This enhanced bandwidth will not only improve overall browsing speeds but also enable Pakistan to better integrate into the global digital ecosystem, promote economic growth and create new development opportunities across all sectors.
The government has actively facilitated the project through Transworld Associates (TWA), the designated landing partner for the 2Africa cable in Pakistan.
Progress on the Ground:
- Phase 1 Commencement: Work on Phase 1 of the project, involving the Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) installation, started on December 1, 2024, with the cable making landfall at Hawks bay, Karachi.
- Phase 2 Ahead: Phase 2, including the deep-sea cable lay, is scheduled to commence on April 1, 2025.
The move comes amidst growing criticism of the government’s handling of internet connectivity. At the moment Pakistan ranks 198th in global internet speed, according to the World Population Review. The country’s internet speeds are below those of Palestine, Bhutan, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Libya, with average mobile internet download rates of 19.59 Mbps and broadband of an average of 15.52 Mbps.
For the past few months, internet users in Pakistan have been increasingly frustrated by frequent interruptions and slow speeds, which have particularly affected the freelance community and have raised concerns about possible unemployment.
The ongoing internet problems are linked to the implementation of internet firewalls in the country. These systems are designed to control access to certain content but may also affect the total internet speed.
Federal Minister of Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, stated that the slow internet service happened due to the excessive use of virtual private networks (VPNs). She further clarified that the internet is not deliberately blocked, but the increase in VPN usage has negative effects on speeds. Khadija noted that when certain apps were restricted, users turned to VPNs, which bypass local services and contribute to slower internet performance.
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