Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Issues Warning Over SEA-ME-WE 5 Cable Fault as Transworld Associates Works With Consortium to Restore Full Connectivity
According to The Express Tribune, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on July 2, 2026 warned of intermittent internet disruptions caused by a fault in the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system; one of the key undersea links connecting Pakistan to global internet infrastructure.
The PTA said some users may experience periodic degradation in service quality and connectivity as a direct result of the fault. The regulator confirmed that Transworld Associates (TWA) was actively working with the SMW5 consortium to identify the root cause and determine an estimated time for service restoration.
In the interim, internet traffic was being rerouted through alternative international links to minimise disruption and maintain service continuity across the country. The PTA confirmed it remained in constant contact with all relevant stakeholders.
The situation was later resolved; a subsequent PTA statement confirmed that the SMW5 cable had been repaired and internet services across Pakistan had returned to normal.
Pakistan’s entire international internet capacity runs through just a handful of submarine cables. One fault, and the entire country’s digital connectivity is on a fallback. That is not resilience — that is a single point of failure dressed up as infrastructure.
Check out our previous coverage of Pakistan tech and telecommunications on The Trusted Times.
