The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has officially confirmed the full restoration of the SEA-ME-WE 5 (SMW5) international submarine cable system. Consequently, internet traffic across Pakistan has returned to normal this morning, July 3, 2026. This development resolves the widespread internet disruption that affected users starting last night. Following the restoration, all services are now operating as usual.
The connectivity issues began on Thursday night. A physical fault occurred within the SMW5 submarine cable. Because of this fault, Transworld Associates (TWA) lost a significant portion of its international IP transit capacity. Therefore, users across the country experienced internet connectivity issues.
Fortunately, authorities took immediate steps to mitigate the impact. During the outage, providers rerouted internet traffic through alternate international links. This temporary measure successfully minimized service degradation while the main line remained down.
Meanwhile, Transworld Associates (TWA) coordinated directly with the SMW5 Consortium to restore connectivity. Throughout the incident, the PTA monitored the situation closely. Furthermore, the regulatory body worked alongside TWA and other stakeholders to support the earliest possible restoration of services.
Now, the SMW5 cable is fully operational again. PTA officials verify that internet services have stabilized, and routine traffic has resumed across Pakistan.
