Pakistan will take its biggest digital leap yet in 2025 with the installation of three new submarine internet cables, Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced in Dubai. The initiative promises faster speeds, fewer outages, and a stronger foundation for the country’s digital economy and 5G rollout.
“This is not just about browsing faster, it is about unlocking innovation, investment, and inclusion,” Khawaja said, unveiling the project.
The new cables will significantly expand Pakistan’s bandwidth capacity, reducing dependence on ageing and outage-prone systems such as AAE-1 and SMW-4. Pakistan is also connected to global subsea projects including 2Africa (landing in Karachi in late 2024 with 180 Tbps capacity), Africa-1, PEACE, and MGG-1. Collectively, these systems are expected to add more than 200 Tbps of bandwidth, providing critical redundancy against service breakdowns.
In parallel, the government plans to double the internet spectrum available to mobile operators to enable smooth 5G deployment. The largest of the new cable systems will be operational by late 2025, aligned with the spectrum expansion.
Pakistan’s internet usage has surged, with over 10 million new mobile subscribers in the past year, taking total subscribers beyond 200 million. Internet usage has grown 25% in two years, and 8 million women came online for the first time, narrowing the gender digital divide.
But frequent outages have taken a heavy toll. In 2024, disruptions caused an estimated Rs. 450 billion in financial losses, the highest in the world that year. A nationwide blackout during February’s general elections delayed result transmission, raising transparency concerns.
Officials say the new submarine cables will anchor Pakistan’s transition to a stable, high-capacity digital ecosystem, boost investment, and advance inclusion. “The powerful digital infrastructure we are building today will serve as the foundation for Pakistan’s future growth,” Khawaja said.
