Internet Services Still Remain Slow Throughout the Country
Internet has been dragging across Pakistan again
Internet has been dragging across Pakistan again, and as of 14 September 2025, people are still dealing with slow speeds no matter where they are. Whether it’s mobile data or broadband at home, connections feel choked, especially in the evenings when everyone’s online.
A big part of the problem comes from faults in the undersea cables Pakistan relies on, particularly SMW4 and IMEWE near Jeddah. When those cables go down, traffic has to be rerouted through less efficient paths, which naturally clogs things up. PTCL has been trying to patch the gap by shifting loads onto backup routes, but backups aren’t designed to handle the entire country’s usage.
Even when the international links are healthy, local infrastructure isn’t exactly in top shape. In plenty of neighborhoods, the broadband is still running over outdated copper lines. That means even if the global connection was fine, the last mile to homes would still bottleneck. Mobile internet feels faster in some places, but it drops badly in rural areas and often slows to a crawl when demand spikes.
Also Read:Internet Services in Pakistan Likely to be Disrupted After Damage to Submarine Cable
People are also frustrated because this isn’t a one-off event. Cable issues have happened before, and every time, daily life takes a hit. Students struggle with online classes, freelancers miss deadlines, and businesses depending on stable internet for payments or meetings get stuck. Social media is full of complaints, memes, and screenshots of speed tests barely hitting double digits.
The government says they’re working on it. Officials confirmed that repairs are underway on the damaged cables, and there are plans to bring three more submarine cables online soon, which should give the country more breathing room in the future. That sounds promising, but those projects take time. Anyone who’s lived here knows that repairs at sea aren’t quick fixes.
The bigger picture is that Pakistan needs more than just extra international cables. The domestic network has to be upgraded too. More fiber in cities, better coverage in rural areas, and real competition among ISPs could make a difference. Without that, every new cable will just kick the can down the road.
For now, people are stuck refreshing pages, waiting for videos to buffer, and hoping the repairs don’t drag on for months. The story hasn’t changed much: Pakistan’s internet still lags behind what many other countries consider the bare minimum.
