ISLAMABAD: As the new year 2026 unfolds, millions of Pakistanis continue tograpple with severely degraded internet services that have now stretchedbeyond 48 hours, raising serious questions about the resilience of thecountry’s digital infrastructure. User reports from major cities indicatepersistent slow speeds, intermittent connectivity and complete disruptionsin certain areas, while Nayatel, a prominent fiber-optic service provider,became the first to publicly confirm the issue through its official Xaccount. The announcement highlighted a critical fault in one of its twoupstream providers, sparking widespread concern over potential economic andsocial impacts in an increasingly online-dependent nation.
The disruption, which began in the early days of January, has affected abroad spectrum of internet users across various networks, including thoserelying on PTCL’s backbone infrastructure. Industry observers note thatPakistan’s internet ecosystem remains heavily dependent on limited upstreamgateways, making it vulnerable to single-point failures. Nayatel’sstatement emphasized that all relevant parties are collaboratingintensively to resolve the matter at the earliest, yet no concrete timelinefor full restoration has been provided so far. This lack of clarity hasonly amplified public frustration, especially as businesses, educationalinstitutions and remote workers face mounting challenges in maintainingoperations.
Data from multiple monitoring sources reveal that the degradation is notisolated but nationwide in scope, with reports of reduced bandwidthaffecting everything from basic browsing to video streaming and onlinetransactions. Experts point out that upstream providers serve as vitalconduits for international bandwidth, often linked to submarine cables andregional peering arrangements. A failure in such a critical link inevitablycascades to downstream ISPs, resulting in throttled performance even whenservices are technically operational. This pattern mirrors previousincidents where similar faults have led to prolonged outages, underscoringsystemic weaknesses in redundancy measures.
The economic ramifications of this ongoing disruption are already becomingevident. E-commerce platforms have recorded significant drops in trafficand sales, while freelancers and digital professionals report substantialincome losses due to unreliable connections. In a country where the ITsector contributes notably to exports, such interruptions threaten toundermine investor confidence and stall growth momentum. Furthermore,educational activities, particularly online learning programs inuniversities and schools, have been hampered, potentially widening thedigital divide among students in urban versus rural regions.
Analysts argue that Pakistan’s reliance on a handful of upstream providersexposes the nation to recurring vulnerabilities. Historical recordsindicate that 2025 witnessed an unprecedented number of outages, manyattributed to backbone issues and external factors like submarine cabledamages. The current episode, originating from a technical fault ratherthan deliberate restrictions, highlights the urgent need for diversifiedrouting and investment in alternative connectivity pathways. Governmentregulators and telecom authorities have yet to issue a comprehensivestatement, leaving the public to rely on piecemeal updates from individualproviders.
As the hours turn into days without resolution, the incident serves as astark reminder of the fragility of digital infrastructure in developingeconomies. Users continue to monitor social media for any signs ofimprovement, while Nayatel and other ISPs reiterate their commitment toswift rectification. The prolonged nature of this degradation has igniteddiscussions on the necessity for robust contingency planning, includingenhanced redundancy and faster response mechanisms. Until full services arerestored, the episode is likely to fuel demands for structural reforms inthe telecommunications sector to prevent future recurrences.
Read Top Stories
Source:https://www.techjuice.pk/internet-disruption-in-pakistan-hits-major-isps-with-no-fix-in-sight-after-48-hours/
Tags: Pakistan, Nayatel, PTCL, Internet Outage
ogimageimage-name
