Pakistan supercharges internet with three new subsea cables

Dubai: Pakistan is set for its biggest digital leap yet: three new submarine internet cables will be laid in 2025, promising faster speeds, fewer blackouts, and a powerful boost to the country’s digital economy.

“This is not just about browsing faster, it is about unlocking innovation, investment, and inclusion,” said Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, unveiling the ambitious upgrade.

Minister Shaza announced that Pakistan will install three new submarine internet cables by 2025 in a bid to transform the country’s digital infrastructure, improve connectivity, and support the roll-out of 5G.

The new cables are expected to substantially expand Pakistan’s bandwidth capacity, reducing dependence on ageing and outage-prone systems such as AAE-1 and SMW-4. Pakistan is also part of major global subsea projects, including the 2Africa cable — which landed in Karachi in late 2024 and will go live by the end of 2025 with a capacity of 180 Tbps — as well as Africa-1, PEACE, and MGG-1. Collectively, these systems will add more than 200 Tbps of bandwidth, offering Pakistan a much-needed cushion against service breakdowns.

Alongside the new cables, the government plans to double the internet spectrum available for mobile operators. This will allow for smoother 5G deployment and better handling of rapidly rising digital traffic. Officials said the largest of the new cable systems will be operational by late 2025, synchronised with the spectrum expansion.

Pakistan’s internet usage has surged in recent years, with over 10 million new mobile subscribers added in the past year alone, bringing the total to more than 200 million. Internet usage has risen 25% in two years, and 8 million women came online for the first time, a major step toward narrowing the gender digital divide.

However, frequent outages have proven costly. In 2024, internet disruptions led to an estimated Rs. 450 billion in financial losses — the highest globally. A nationwide blackout during the February elections delayed results and raised concerns about transparency.

Officials say the new submarine cables will anchor Pakistan’s transition to a stable, high-capacity digital ecosystem, strengthening its economy, attracting investment, and making digital inclusion a reality. “The powerful digital infrastructure we are building today will serve as the foundation for Pakistan’s future growth,” noted Minister Shaza.