PTA chief says sharks can't damage submarine cables

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez ur Rehman clarified that sharks cannot damage the submarine cables.

He was responding to the queries about internet disruption in Pakistan during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan.

During the meeting, committee members raised concerns about the internet speed and functionality of applications. One member mentioned that while the download speed was fine, applications were not functioning properly, and voice notes were not being sent.

In response, the PTA chairman assured that Pakistan currently has seven submarine cables, with four to five additional ones expected to be added soon, with two cables scheduled to be completed within the year.

Read more: I did not allow VPNs to be banned: PTA chairman

He also shared that Pakistan ranks 97th in the world in terms of internet speed and clarified that submarine cables are impervious to sharks, alluding to concerns about damage to the cables.

The PTA chairman explained that the body receives around 500 complaints daily regarding social media content, and the authority requests platforms to block certain material.

While 80% of the content is blocked, 20% remains accessible. He also mentioned that the Ministry of Interior can direct PTA to take such actions as per the rules.