Islamabad, Jan 3: Telecom operators in Pakistan have reported significant disruptions in social media services and web browsing, particularly during periods of internet slowdowns, according to feedback submitted to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). This comes after the PTA launched an investigation into widespread complaints about the deteriorating quality of internet services in the country.
The findings were shared with the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, with each telecom operator providing insights into the specific challenges faced by their networks. Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) observed varied issues, particularly with social media platforms. Jazz and Telenor noted blocking issues on platform X (formerly Twitter) but did not report any other significant problems with web browsing or data services.
Zong, however, reported a decline in data traffic across leading applications, including a notable 16% reduction in TikTok traffic. Ufone experienced intermittent degradation in the performance of popular over-the-top (OTT) platforms but did not report issues with general web browsing.
Fixed-line operators also faced disruptions. PTCL reported intermittent degradation in social media services, including TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, but its web browsing services remained unaffected. Cybernet observed similar disruptions in both social media services and web browsing.
However, Nayatel claimed that its services remained unaffected, with no reported issues in either category. TWA, another fixed-line operator, acknowledged interruptions in video streaming and calls, coupled with slow browsing speeds. The company admitted that its bandwidth capacity needs to be expanded to cope with the growing demand for internet services.
The PTA attributed the disruptions to routine trends in data throughput and usage patterns rather than anomalies. However, it pointed out that the increasing use of VPNs to bypass content delivery networks (CDNs) has compounded the strain on Pakistan’s existing submarine cable capacity of 9.5 Gbps. The PTA has urged the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication to implement systemic enhancements to address these challenges and ensure reliable internet services across the country.
