The government of Pakistan has confirmed that two new international submarine fibre-optic cable systems will be connected within the next 15 months, marking a significant upgrade to the country’s global internet infrastructure.
During a session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, chaired by Syed Aminul Haque, the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication reported that Pakistan’s current submarine cable network is under strain—especially from repeated outages affecting international connectivity.
The two new systems are part of a broader digital infrastructure upgrade, which also includes fibre-connecting telecom towers and expanding domestic broadband capacity.
Why It Matters: Key Drivers Behind the Move
- Reducing Outages & Improving Resilience: Pakistan has suffered disruptions when older cables faced faults—recently a broken repeater forced slower internet access nationwide.
- Meeting Exploding Demand: The country’s online users and data traffic have surged. The Ministry notes that structural bottlenecks in international links hamper growth of streaming, business, and 5G deployment.
- Enabling 5G & Digital Economy Growth: The upgraded capacity is tied to plans for a spectrum auction and 5G rollout early in 2026. More robust backhaul (international links) is essential for next-generation mobile and broadband services.
Technical Landscape: What the Current Systems Look Like
Pakistan is connected to several submarine cables: for instance, the AAE‑1 (Asia-Africa-Europe 1) links many regions including Pakistan.
Additionally, the cable landing page for Pakistan notes that two systems — Orient Express and PEACE — were under construction, further pointing to a wave of infrastructure expansion.
What We Know About the New Cables
Exact names, capacity, ownership structure, or landing locations of the two upcoming systems have not been publicly detailed. However:
- Sources indicate three new submarine cables were planned for installation by end-2025, though the latest committee brief narrows it to two additional systems within ~15 months.
- These new links are designed to alleviate dependence on older systems that have proven outage-prone (e.g., AAE-1, SMW-4) and to build redundancy.
- Officials emphasise that alongside cable rollout, domestic fibre-to-towers and right-of-way reforms are underway to maximise benefit.
Potential Impact & Benefits
- Bandwidth Boost: With new systems coming online, Pakistan’s capacity for international data could grow significantly, enabling smoother video streaming, cloud services, and large-scale business connectivity.
- Improved Reliability: More diverse landing routes lowers risk of complete outages due to a single cable fault.
- Digital Economy Acceleration: Better connectivity supports e-commerce, fintech, remote work, and regional tech investment.
- 5G and Beyond: With greater backhaul capacity, mobile operators can better leverage next-generation networks, supporting IoT, smart cities and industrial internet of things.
- Regional Competitiveness: As global data flows shift, improved international cable links enhance Pakistan’s attractiveness for data centres, content delivery and international hubs.
Challenges & Considerations
- Execution Risks: Landing submarine cables involves logistical, regulatory, environmental, and marine-survey complexities—delays are common globally.
- Integration & Access: New cables mean nothing unless domestic networks (terrestrial fibre, data centres, inter-ISP peering) are ready to absorb the capacity.
- Cost & Return on Investment: Building subsea links is capital-intensive; ensuring commercial viability requires strong uptake by operators.
- Maintenance & Protection: Cables remain vulnerable to marine accidents, natural disasters and anchor damage. Pakistan’s past disruptions illustrate this.
Outlook
With the official confirmation of two new submarine cable systems slated for connection in the next 15 months, Pakistan appears poised for a significant leap in its international connectivity infrastructure. If complemented by effective domestic reforms, the move could unlock broad digital growth and position Pakistan more competitively in the global digital landscape.
That said, details around the projects remain sparse. The next few months will be critical to watch for announcements on consortiums, capacity, landing sites, and timelines.
