ISLAMABAD: After facing heavy flak from netizens and organizations in the information technology sector over intermittent internet outages, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has finally commented, linking the issue to an “undersea cable fault.”
“The Submarine Consortium [us] The Internet [services] “We are affected due to a fault in the undersea cables, which is expected to be resolved by August 27,” PTA Chairman Major General Hafeez-ur-Rehman (retd) said in a report to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT.
He added that there are seven fibre optic cables connecting it to Pakistan, of which one is damaged.
The PTA chief’s comments come amid widespread internet slowdowns and throttling that experts and observers say are due to tests of internet firewalls designed to throttle social media, which have filters that block undesirable content from reaching a wide audience.
Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP), Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) and IT experts slammed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government over the issue, citing the economic impact on freelancers, IT professionals and the digital economy in general.
P@SHA estimates losses of $300 million, taking into account existing complaints from businesses and damage to their reputations, and WISPAP chairman Shazad Arshad said businesses and individuals who rely on reliable internet connections – a key pillar of the country’s digital economy – are now “struggling to stay in business and the slowdown threatens their very survival.”
However, the government denied any involvement in the issue, with Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja alleging that internet users’ use of virtual private networks (VPNs) was responsible for the slowdown in “mobile” speeds.
“I can categorically say that the Pakistani government has never shut down or slowed down the internet,” she told media last week.
“Approved Firewalls in 2019”
During the standing committee meeting today, Muttahida Qaumi Movement of Pakistan (MQM-P) MP Amin-ul-Haq questioned the PTA chairman about the cause of the internet outage.
“The public should be informed as to why their internet services are affected and whether firewalls have been installed,” he asked, adding that the PTA should raise the issue with the media so the public is informed.
Replying to the question, Gen Rehman referred to the remarks of IT Minister Khawaja and said the causes behind the current problem had been aptly explained in the minister’s press conference and that the use of VPNs had led to the internet going down.
Elaborating on the firewall issue, the PTA president said the previous Web Management System (WMS) was renamed and replaced with firewall technology after its approval in 2019.
” [internet] “The firewall system was approved in March 2019,” he said, adding that upgrades to the system began the same year.
When pressed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub about the installation of the firewall, the PTA chairman replied, “This system was introduced during your government.”
More to come…
