Following a day of digital chaos, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has successfully restored internet services across the country after a massive technical fault disrupted connectivity for millions. The nationwide outage, which occurred due to a major fiber-optic cable fault, affected not only PTCL users but also several third-party ISPs that rely on PTCL’s backbone infrastructure.
The fault was first reported in the early hours of the morning, impacting connectivity in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, and Peshawar. The disruption affected internet browsing, video streaming, cloud-based services, and online banking. Businesses, educational institutions, and freelancers experienced serious interruptions in their work, sparking frustration on social media.
PTCL issued regular updates throughout the day, confirming that its technical teams were working around the clock to resolve the issue. By late evening, full connectivity was restored in most regions, with additional measures being taken to monitor stability over the next 48 hours.
The telecom giant stated that the fault occurred in its core transmission network, and while the root cause is still under investigation, early indications suggest it was due to multiple simultaneous fiber cuts in critical regions. PTCL thanked its users for their patience and apologized for the inconvenience caused.
This incident has once again raised concerns about the fragility of Pakistan’s digital infrastructure. IT experts are calling for more investment in redundancy systems and the establishment of alternate data routes to ensure uninterrupted connectivity.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is also expected to initiate an inquiry and present recommendations to strengthen the country’s core internet framework.
fiber optic fault Pakistan, national internet outage, telecom infrastructure
