ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) users faced a major internet outage on Tuesday evening, disrupting connectivity across the country. Not as much but other ISPs like Nayatel, StormFiber, etc. also reported disruptions.
According to Downdetector, complaints about PTCL services began to spike around 9:30 PM PKT and quickly crossed 2,400 reports within minutes, marking significant service disruptions in recent months.
Users from major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar reported either complete service outages or severe slowdowns.
While the cause of the disruption remains unclear, experts suggest that such widespread outages are often linked to issues in the fiber backbone network or submarine internet cables that Pakistan relies on for international connectivity.
A PTCL spokesperson confirmed the disruption in a statement, saying:
“We are currently facing data connectivity challenges on our PTCL and Ufone services. Our teams are diligently working to restore the services as quickly as possible. We regret any inconvenience caused.”
Sources suggest it is due to an issue with upstream service provider, all ISPs are affected.
This isn’t the first time Pakistan has faced nationwide connectivity issues. In previous years, internet slowdowns and blackouts have been attributed to submarine cable faults, which can take hours or even days to repair.
Meanwhile, users are resorting to mobile data services to stay connected, but many complain that cellular networks are also experiencing congestion due to the sudden surge in traffic.