Tech Desk 
Oct 22, 2025
An undated image of cables. — Canva
As Pakistan continues to battle its long-standing internet issues, it emerged on Wednesday that the submarine cable fault near Yemen has not been fully repaired yet.
Since the submarine cable cut caused severe internet connectivity issues all over Pakistan, the secretary of IT and telecom outlined in a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom that efforts are underway to restore the cable, as internet users continue to face disruptions countrywide.
To minimise the impact, Pakistan has redirected its internet traffic through alternative routes.
Members of the IT Standing Committee expressed concern over the persistently dropping quality of mobile and broadband services.
Engineer Rana Atiq highlighted the need for improved IT infrastructure in smaller towns suffering from extremely low connectivity, stressing that the focus should extend beyond major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.
State Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja attributed Pakistan's ongoing internet issues to spectrum congestion, explaining that the entire country is currently operating on just 274 MHz of spectrum.
The minister also noted that delays in the spectrum auction, caused by legal disputes, have also hindered progress, while claiming that the government aims to conduct the 5G spectrum auction by December 2025 or January 2026 with the help of an international consultant.
Chairman Aminul Haque directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to appear before the committee in its next session to explain the poor signal coverage, stressing the need for improvements in Pakistan's internet infrastructure.
