ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan Telecom­munication Company Ltd (PTCL) said on Sunday that consumers may experience internet disruptions due to maintenance work on a submarine cable between May 11 and 18.

In a post on X, PTCL said: “A maintenance activity is planned on one of our submarine cables to repair a fault by the International Cable Consortium.” The company added that the work will begin on May 11 and may continue until May 18.

“During this period, customers may experience internet service degradation during evening hours,” PTCL said.

The state-owned telecom giant manages three undersea optical fibre cable networks that provide international internet connectivity to Pakistan.

Internet users in Pakistan frequently face disruptions due to recurring faults in submarine cables.

According to a report by Top10VPN.com, Pakistan recorded the world’s highest financial losses from internet and social media outages and shutdowns in 2023.

The government recently launched the country’s first-ever digital Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES), highlighting a significant rise in connectivity, with internet access now available in 70 per cent of households and 57 per cent of individuals using the internet.

According to the survey, household internet access rose from 34pc in 2018-19 to 70pc. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the highest level of household internet penetration at 77pc, while Sindh had the lowest at 67pc.

Ownership of mobile phones or smartphones also increased slightly, from 95pc to 96pc. Balochistan recorded the highest ownership rate at 98pc, whereas Sindh once again ranked lowest at 95pc.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026