ISLAMABAD: Internet users in Pakistan may face slower speeds during peak hours until November 2 2026 as emergency maintenance on the AAE-1 international submarine cable between Italy and France may affect internet services.
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) said the maintenance work could cause minor service degradation for internet users in the country particularly during busy hours. The company asked customers for patience and understanding during the maintenance period.
The warning raises concerns for consumers who depend on reliable internet connectivity for remote work online education digital payments business activities and access to websites and online services. However PTCL has described the expected impact as minor and has not indicated that a nationwide internet outage is expected.
The AAE-1 or Asia-Africa-Europe 1 submarine cable is an important international route for Pakistan’s internet traffic. The approximately 25,000-kilometre cable system connects Southeast Asia with Europe through Egypt and has a landing point in Karachi. PTCL began its operations on the cable in Pakistan in 2017.
The cable system connects Pakistan with international networks through landing points in countries including Greece Italy and France. As the current maintenance work is reportedly taking place on the European section of the cable users may experience slower access to some websites and online services hosted in Europe particularly during evening peak hours.
The actual impact on internet users will depend on how traffic is rerouted during maintenance and whether sufficient alternative network capacity is available. The extent to which different internet service providers and regions may be affected has not been independently confirmed.
The announcement has also raised questions about backup bandwidth and alternative international routes that could help maintain service quality during the repair work. PTCL has not announced whether additional backup capacity will be deployed to minimise the potential impact on consumers.
Problems involving international submarine cables have previously raised concerns about internet performance in Pakistan. In January 2025 a fault near Qatar reportedly affected the AAE-1 cable and users experienced slower internet speeds during the disruption. PTCL subsequently announced that the fault had been resolved.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was approached for its comments on the reported slowdown and the steps being taken to minimise disruption for consumers. However no response had been received by the time this story was filed.
PTCL has indicated that the potential impact of the current maintenance work may continue until November 2 2026. The extent of any slowdown will depend on network conditions traffic management and the availability of alternative routes.