Reports have emerged suggesting that the SEA-ME-WE-5 underwater cable, which links Singapore to Pakistan and Europe, has been severed, leading to disturbances in internet services in Pakistan, according to sources in the telecom industry.
However, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has denied these claims, asserting that its internet traffic remained unaffected despite the damage to the submarine cable.
A spokesperson for PTCL clarified that the cable breakage did not have any adverse effects on PTCL’s network infrastructure, ensuring that internet services in Pakistan continued to operate smoothly without any interruptions.
Industry insiders have noted issues such as packet drops, slow browsing, and streaming since Monday, which have been attributed to the underwater cable breakage near Indonesia.
The SEA-ME-WE-5 cable, which has experienced five notable cuts, is expected to require some time for repairs, causing disruptions primarily in internet services from the eastern direction, impacting PTCL’s eastbound traffic.
Despite these challenges, the spokesperson reassured that PTCL’s network is functioning optimally, and any impact on internet traffic from the east has been managed by rerouting it through alternative channels.