ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) attributed the nationwide internet slowdown to a “faulty submarine cable” and denied installing any firewalls, following criticism from both lawmakers and the public.
Internet speeds have significantly dropped over the past few weeks, with users struggling to send or download media and voice notes via WhatsApp on mobile data, and even experiencing slow browsing speeds on broadband.
The business community and internet service providers (ISPs) had claimed that the government’s attempts to monitor internet traffic, including an alleged ‘firewall,’ were responsible for the slowdown, leading to economic losses.
Meanwhile, few days ago Federal Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, attributed Pakistan’s slow internet speeds to the widespread use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
During a news conference in Islamabad, Fatima Khawaja clarified that the internet has not been blocked or intentionally slowed down. Instead, she explained that the heavy use of VPNs, especially after certain apps were restricted, has impacted overall internet performance, including mobile internet speeds.
