The arrival of the world’s largest submarine cable in Pakistan is expected to alleviate persistent internet connectivity issues, according to Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima.
Addressing the Senate session, the state minister said the cable is part of the Africa-2 Cable Project, a 45,000-kilometre global network connecting 33 countries through 46 landing stations.
Presiding over the session, Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan opened the discussion with Senator Mohammad Aslam Abro, who criticised the government for failing to resolve internet disruptions. “While the world reaches the moon, Pakistan struggles with internet problems for over a year,” Abro remarked, proposing the matter be referred to a committee.
Shaza Fatima responded by explaining that eight submarine cables currently serve Pakistan, one of which has reached the end of its operational life. She highlighted that mobile broadband accounts for most of the issues and that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has doubled its frequency capacity over the past two years.
Fatima assured senators that the government is working closely with telecom companies and expects significant improvements following the Africa-2 cable’s activation.
Senator Anusha Rehman questioned the utility of imposing data usage restrictions and raised concerns about the spectrum allocation process.
State minister for IT replied that spectrum allocation is evolving globally, with some nations offering it for free to encourage innovation. The PTA has engaged U.S.-based consultants to advise on the matter, and their report is awaited.
