Pakistan Internet Outage 8 September 2025 | Red Sea Cable Cuts Disrupt Connectivity

Pakistan Internet Disruption: Red Sea Cable Cuts Cause Major Outage

On 8 September 2025, Pakistan faced widespread internet disruptions after two major undersea fiber-optic cables were damaged in the Red Sea near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The outage affected millions of users across Pakistan, India, the UAE, and the Middle East, causing slow browsing, interruptions in video streaming, and delays in online services.

According to reports, the damaged cables include SEA-ME-WE 4 (SMW4) and IMEWE (India-Middle East-Western Europe). These cables are vital digital lifelines that connect Asia with Europe, carrying a large share of international data traffic. Their failure has disrupted connectivity across multiple countries, including Pakistan.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) confirmed the disruption, warning that customers nationwide will face reduced speeds and unstable connections until the issue is resolved. Other local internet service providers also reported significant slowdowns, while businesses depending on cloud services, particularly Microsoft Azure, experienced higher latency and delays due to traffic being rerouted through alternative routes.

Microsoft acknowledged the disruption in an official statement and assured users that engineers are working to stabilize services. Despite rerouting efforts, the impact is being felt strongly by e-commerce platforms, remote workers, financial institutions, and online education systems.

The exact cause of the cable damage remains uncertain. Experts suggest it may have been caused by ship anchor dragging or maritime activity, while others speculate a possible link to regional conflicts in the Red Sea. Earlier incidents in 2025 had already highlighted the fragility of global internet infrastructure in conflict-prone areas.

For Pakistan, the disruption is a reminder of the country’s heavy reliance on limited undersea cable routes. With growing dependence on digital services, such vulnerabilities create economic risks and daily challenges for citizens. Full repairs may take several days, depending on weather conditions and technical factors. In the meantime, users should expect slower browsing, interruptions during video calls, and reduced efficiency in online transactions.

This incident underscores the urgent need for diversified internet routes and stronger digital resilience in Pakistan and the wider region. Protecting undersea cables, which serve as the backbone of global connectivity, must become a global priority to ensure stability in the digital age.