PTA reveals date for 2Africa Submarine’s operation

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) shared update on 2Africa Submarine cable for Pakistan and revealed expected date for its operation, ARY News reported.

“Supported by a global consortium of eight partners, including Meta and Vodafone, the 2Africa cable is set to go live in Pakistan by Q4 (fourth quarter) in 2025,” the PTA said in a press release.

It added that it has made significant strides in enhancing international connectivity through the facilitation of Transworld Associate (TWA), the landing partner of the 2Africa Submarine cable for Pakistan.

“One of the world’s largest submarine cable systems, the 2Africa cable spans 45,000 kilometres and connects 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Utilising SDM1 technology, it offers 180Tbps capacity.”

The PTA added that the commencement of Phase I of the project, involving Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) installation, began on December 1, 2024, with the cable landing at Hawksbay, Karachi. The authority said that in Phase II, the deep-sea cable lay will commence on April 1, 2025.

The project according to PTA will improve Pakistan’s international telecommunications infrastructure and enhance connectivity.

According to the report, Pakistan ranks below Palestine, Bhutan, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Libya in internet speed.

The average mobile internet download speed in Pakistan is 19.59 Mbps, while broadband internet averages 15.52 Mbps.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) leads globally in both mobile and broadband internet speed, followed by Singapore in mobile internet and Qatar in broadband speed.

Over the past few months, internet users across Pakistan have been increasingly voicing their frustrations regarding frequent outages and slow internet speeds.

The situation has particularly impacted the country’s freelancing community, raising concerns about its potential to increase unemployment rates.