Internet users in Pakistan are set to experience a significant boost in connectivity with the nearing completion of a new undersea cable linking the country to Africa. This cable, part of a larger initiative, is expected to be fully operational in the coming days.
Spanning an impressive 45,000 kilometers and offering a capacity of 180 terabits per second, the cable promises to greatly enhance internet speeds, particularly for social media and online services.
Pakistan is a key participant in the 2Africa Pearls project, a major global initiative connecting the Gulf countries to India, with 46 landing stations across 33 countries. This project is a crucial part of the world’s digital infrastructure.
Currently, Pakistan ranks 198th globally in terms of internet speed, according to the World Population Review. Its internet speeds are lower than countries such as Palestine, Bhutan, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Libya, with average mobile internet download speeds at 19.59 Mbps and broadband speeds averaging 15.52 Mbps. By comparison, the United Arab Emirates leads the world in both mobile and broadband speeds, followed by Singapore and Qatar.
In recent months, Pakistani internet users have voiced increasing frustration over slow speeds and frequent outages, with particular concern within the freelancing community. These issues have raised alarms about the potential for job loss in sectors reliant on stable internet access.
The ongoing internet troubles are linked to the implementation of internet firewalls at the country’s major gateways, which are intended to monitor and filter online traffic. While these firewalls aim to regulate access to certain content, they have also contributed to the decline in overall internet performance.
