Internet users in Pakistan may face slower speeds during peak hours until November 2, 2026, due to emergency maintenance on the AAE-1 international submarine cable, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has announced.
According to PTCL, the maintenance began today, October 27, on the section of the cable between Italy and France. The company said users in Pakistan may experience “minor service degradation” during peak hours while the work continues.
PTCL thanked its customers for their patience and understanding during the maintenance period.
Why AAE-1 Matters for Pakistan
The Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1) cable is one of the main routes carrying Pakistan’s international internet traffic. The roughly 25,000-kilometer system links South East Asia to Europe through Egypt and lands in Pakistan at Karachi.
PTCL commissioned its Pakistan operations in 2017. The cable connects the country to Europe through landing points in Greece, Italy, and France.
Because the maintenance is on the European end of the cable, users are most likely to notice slower speeds when accessing services hosted in Europe, especially during busy evening hours.
Previous Disruptions
This is not the first time issues with AAE-1 have affected internet users in Pakistan. In January 2025, a fault on the cable near Qatar caused slow internet speeds across the country for nearly two weeks before PTCL announced that it had been fixed.
PTCL has not said whether it will add backup bandwidth during the current maintenance window.
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