Karachi: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has explained that the recent internet slowdown in Pakistan is happening due to a rise in the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), as reported by ARY News.
According to the PTA, the increased VPN usage is putting more load on the country’s bandwidth that is resulting in slower internet speeds.
The PTA has sent a detailed report to the Ministry of IT, urging the need for improvements to enhance bandwidth issues to meet the rising internet demand.
Yesterday, the PTA also issued an update on the internet slowdown, explaining that a fault had been detected in the submarine cable AAE-1, located near Qatar.
“This is to inform the general public that a fault has been reported in the submarine cable AAE-1 near Qatar (one of the seven international undersea cables connecting Pakistan for international internet traffic),” the PTA stated.
The authority assured the public that the concerned teams are working to fix the issue.
“This (fault) may impact internet and broadband user experience across Pakistan. PTA is monitoring the situation and will keep updating telecom users accordingly.”
The impact of the slowdown has been reported nationwide, and millions of users are facing slower internet speeds.
According to the reports, popular platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have been either suspended or are running at reduced speeds, leaving many users frustrated with limited access.
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