In a bid to address recent internet disruptions, the government has launched the Africa-2 cable project, a cutting-edge initiative designed to strengthen internet infrastructure and improve data transmission across the country, reported Thursday ExpressNews.
The Africa-2 cable project is the largest submarine network in the world, spanning 45,000 kilometers. Spanning 33 countries, it integrates 46 landing stations around the world, marking a major milestone for international Internet infrastructure.
According to a recent report by global internet monitor Top10VPN.com, Pakistan suffered the highest economic losses in the world from internet outages in 2024, with total losses amounting to $1.62 billion. This figure exceeds losses recorded in conflict-ridden countries like Sudan and Myanmar.
The report, released on January 2, revealed that Pakistan experienced 9,735 hours of internet disruptions, affecting 82.9 million users. The disruptions were mainly attributed to political events, including elections and protests.
In response to recent internet slowdowns, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has implemented temporary bandwidth to deal with disruptions caused by an outage of the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 (AAE) submarine cable -1), which affected the country’s Internet performance.
The AAE-1 cable is one of seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan to global networks.
Additionally, the government is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink to introduce satellite internet services in Pakistan, as part of broader efforts to improve connectivity across the country. The challenges posed by internet disruptions continue to weigh heavily on Pakistan’s IT sector, especially its freelancers.
