On August 19, 2025, Pakistan experienced a major internet outage that disrupted services nationwide. Users reported difficulty accessing websites, apps, and online platforms, with key service providers including PTCL, Ufone, and Nayatel confirming connectivity issues. The disruption was traced to an outage at an upstream service provider, which industry sources believe was triggered by flooding at a major facility.
PTCL and Ufone Acknowledge Connectivity Issues
Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and its subsidiary Ufone were among the first to issue statements regarding the issue. PTCL stated:
“We are currently facing a data connectivity challenge on our PTCL and Ufone services. Our Teams are diligently working to restore the services as quickly as possible. We regret any inconvenience caused.”
This acknowledgment confirmed that the outage was not localized but part of a broader network failure affecting multiple operators simultaneously. Nayatel also reported similar disruptions, indicating that the issue stemmed from shared upstream infrastructure rather than individual provider failures.
Possible Cause: Flooding at Upstream Facility
Initial reports suggest that the root cause lies in flooding that affected the operations of an upstream service provider. Such providers manage critical data routing for multiple ISPs, meaning that a single point of failure can result in widespread outages. While official details are still awaited, this explanation aligns with the pattern of disruptions reported across different networks simultaneously.
Previous Internet Disruptions in Pakistan
This is not the first time Pakistan has faced nationwide connectivity problems. Earlier in January 2025, a fault in the AAE-1 submarine cable system slowed down internet speeds across the country. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has repeatedly acknowledged that Pakistan’s internet infrastructure is vulnerable to both external submarine cable faults and internal infrastructure issues. In 2024, multiple submarine cable failures also highlighted the fragility of the country’s bandwidth supply routes.
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Looking Ahead
While restoration efforts are underway, this incident once again emphasizes the need for redundant infrastructure and stronger contingency planning to avoid nationwide disruptions. With increasing reliance on digital platforms for education, business, and communication, Pakistan’s internet backbone needs urgent upgrades to ensure stability and resilience in the face of natural or technical disruptions.
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