On 14 October 2025, residents across Pakistan should brace for slower internet speeds and possible service interruptions. Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and other major internet service providers have announced a maintenance window starting at 11 AM Pakistan Standard Time, scheduled to last up to 18 hours.
This maintenance is not a government-imposed blackout or a political move; it’s a planned repair on the undersea cables that connect Pakistan to the rest of the world. In this article we explain why the internet needs to be shut down for maintenance, what it means for you and how to prepare. We also answer some common questions and provide useful tips.
Quick overview
| What’s happening? | When & how long? | Who’s affected? |
|---|---|---|
| PTCL and its international partners are repairing a faulty repeater (amplifier) on a submarine cable. | Starts: 11 AM (PST) on 14 Oct 2025 | |
| Duration: up to 18 hours. | All major ISPs that rely on undersea cables (PTCL, Nayatel, Jazz, Zong, Ufone, Telenor) will see degraded speeds. | Download important files, schedule backups in advance, and consider switching to mobile data or performing offline tasks during the maintenance window. |
Why is the internet being slowed down?
PTCL’s official statement, shared on social media and widely reported in the news explains that an international cable consortium is planning a repair on one of the submarine cables that carry Pakistan’s internet traffic. The problem lies with a faulty repeater on the cable. Repeaters are amplifier stations placed along undersea fibre‑optic cables; they boost signals across thousands of kilometres of ocean floor. When a repeater fails, data transmission slows or stops.
The repair requires divers and specialised ships to locate the faulty repeater on the seabed, haul the cable to the surface, replace the faulty unit and test the line. This delicate process can’t happen while the cable is live, so service providers need to reduce load or reroute traffic. PTCL’s statement notes that the maintenance will commence around 11 AM on 14 October 2025 and could continue for up to 18 hours, during which customers may notice slow or intermittent connectivity.
This maintenance comes at a time when Pakistan’s international connectivity has already been weakened by other undersea incidents. In early September 2025, PTCL reported that submarine cable cuts near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia had reduced bandwidth on the SEA‑ME‑WE 4 and IMEWE systems. A few weeks later, government officials told parliament that up to four to five cables were damaged off the coast of Yemen; repair teams were working on them, but full restoration could take weeks.
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Why submarine cable maintenance matters
Pakistan is connected to the global internet through several undersea cable systems—SEA‑ME‑WE 4 (SMW4), SEA‑ME‑WE 5, IMEWE (India‑Middle East‑Western Europe), AAE‑1, the PEACE cable and a few newer links. These cables run from Europe and the Middle East, across the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, before landing at Gwadar and Karachi. Every time you send a WhatsApp message, stream a video or check your bank account, bits of data travel through these cables. If a cable is damaged by an anchor, earthquake or technical failure, the load must be redistributed to other cables. Too many simultaneous faults can bring the internet to a crawl.
Repairing a faulty repeater may seem inconvenient now, but it prevents a catastrophic outage later. Repeaters amplify optical signals so data can travel thousands of kilometres without degradation. A failing repeater can reduce capacity or degrade signal quality. By replacing it now, network operators restore the system to full capacity and avoid unexpected breakdowns during peak usage.
New submarine cables are already being planned to reduce future bottlenecks. Government officials recently told parliament that three new cable systems will be ready within 12 to 18 months; these will enhance connections to Europe and the Far East and provide redundancy to avoid outages.
How this maintenance could affect you
- Slower speeds and intermittent connectivity. During the maintenance window, you may experience slower page loads, buffering on YouTube or Netflix, or interruptions in online gaming. Businesses using cloud services may notice latency.
- Limited international bandwidth. Local traffic within Pakistan (e.g., domestic websites or local servers) might remain usable, but any data routed overseas will be constrained. Voice‑over‑IP, Zoom calls and online education platforms might stutter.
- Mobile networks may not be immune. Even though you can switch from home broadband to 4G/5G, telecom companies still route their data through the same undersea cables. Some providers may offload traffic via satellite or alternate routes, but expect slower speeds across the board.
- Essential services may have contingency plans. Banks, hospitals and government portals typically have redundant links and may run fine.
- Online gaming and streaming may be impacted. Data‑intensive activities such as HD video streaming or large file downloads are likely to suffer. It’s a good opportunity to catch up on offline tasks.
Preparing for the downtime
- Download essential content ahead of time. If you rely on cloud files for work or school, synchronise them to your device before 11 AM.
- Schedule updates and backups. Software updates and backups should be completed before the maintenance window. Avoid initiating heavy downloads during the outage.
- Inform colleagues and clients. If you’re working remotely, let your team know about possible delays. Schedule important meetings or file submissions around the outage.
- Use mobile hotspots wisely. Your mobile data will still route through the same international cables. It may be adequate for email and messaging but not for heavy streaming.
- Avoid sensitive transactions. Do not carry out large financial transactions during unstable connectivity to prevent session timeouts or errors. Instead, plan ahead to pay utility bills or transfer funds using online banking.
- Stay informed. Follow PTCL’s official accounts on X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook for real‑time updates. If the maintenance completes earlier than expected, providers will let customers know.
Benefits of this maintenance
While the thought of an 18‑hour slowdown sounds daunting, it’s important to remember that this maintenance will bring long‑term benefits:
- Improved reliability: Replacing a faulty repeater ensures that data signals remain strong across the cable’s length. This helps prevent unplanned outages at critical moments.
- Capacity restoration: Repairing the cable restores the system to its designed capacity, which is particularly important during events like national elections, global sporting events or high‑traffic holidays.
- Preventive action: Fixing the issue now reduces the risk of bigger disruptions later. Undersea repairs require calm weather and specialised ships; waiting too long could create scheduling conflicts or risk storms at sea.
- Better user experience: Once the maintenance is complete, customers should notice improved speeds, reduced latency and more stable connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
PTCL has announced that maintenance will start at 11 AM (PST) on 14 October 2025 and may continue for up to 18 hours. During this period you may experience reduced speeds and intermittent connectivity. The exact end time depends on how quickly engineers replace the faulty repeater and test the cable.
Undersea fibre‑optic cables have repeating stations every 50–80 kilometres. These devices amplify light signals so data can travel thousands of kilometres without degrading. If a repeater fails, data loses strength and the cable’s capacity drops. Engineers must raise the cable from the seabed, replace the faulty component and secure it back, which is why the process requires a scheduled downtime.
Yes. All major Internet Service Providers (PTCL, Nayatel, Jazz, Zong, Ufone, Telenor) rely on shared submarine cables for their international bandwidth. Although providers will reroute traffic through alternative cables and satellites, there may still be slow speeds or timeouts.
A VPN encrypts your traffic but still routes it through the same undersea cables. It cannot bypass a physical outage. Switching to a different ISP may help if that provider has more spare capacity, but all providers will feel the impact to some degree. Satellite internet services (if available) offer a more independent route but are not widely accessible or affordable.
PTCL’s timeline is an estimate. If the maintenance goes smoothly, normal speeds could return sooner. However, final testing and routing might take a little longer. If you still experience issues after 18 hours, contact your ISP’s helpline. Keep in mind that Pakistan’s internet infrastructure faces other ongoing repairs (cuts near Yemen and Jeddah), so occasional fluctuations may persist until all cables are fully restored.
Consider backup options like offline tools (editing documents locally), scheduling posts using social media management software, or coordinating with colleagues ahead of time. Some businesses invest in dedicated satellite connections or leased lines for mission‑critical operations. For most users, planning around the outage and staying patient will suffice.
Final thoughts
Internet outages and slowdowns are frustrating, especially when so many daily activities depend on a stable connection. However, preventive maintenance on undersea cables is essential for long‑term reliability. The scheduled repair on 14 October 2025 will cause temporary inconvenience, but it will also restore network capacity and reduce the risk of bigger disruptions. If you plan ahead, download what you need and limit heavy usage during the maintenance window, you can manage the slowdown with minimal impact.
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan’s leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
Shahid started his career in journalism after completing his four-year Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Punjab University. Before joining us at Pakera.pk, he worked as a freelance content writer for notable websites and blogs, producing guides, reviews, and how-to articles. Shahid’s ability to simplify complex ideas and methods and present them crystal clear has made him a very reliable asset for us as well as for our readers.
On Pakistan Era, Shahid leads our in-depth guides that solve common tech-related problems. He focuses on making the latest technology usable and practical for our readers.
When not in working mode, Shahid still explores new gadgets, generates ideas, and does topic research for future writing. When he’s not connected with technology, he plays chess often, discovers new ways to improve his content, and learns new tricks like how to solve a Rubik’s Cube, which he loves to solve and make fun of us about how we can’t. He actively takes part in global communities and forums and stays ahead of the trends and changes in the industry.
