Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Saturday that internet services across the country may face disruptions due to submarine cable cuts in Saudi waters near Jeddah.

In its statement, PTCL confirmed that the incident impacted the SMW4 and IMEWE systems—two of the major undersea cables connecting Pakistan to the global network.

The company assured that international teams are working urgently to repair the damaged cables, while local teams are arranging alternative bandwidth to reduce inconvenience for users.

“We deeply value our customers’ patience and understanding during this difficult time,” the company added, as internet outage reports surged Saturday morning, peaking around 9 a.m.

This comes as Pakistan continues to strengthen its digital infrastructure.

Earlier this year, the Africa-1 submarine cable was successfully linked to the country, offering greater connectivity with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and France.

Stretching over 10,000 km, the project—approved in 2020 at a cost of $59.5 million—is expected to be fully operational by early 2026.

The episode highlights not just the challenges of a globalised digital ecosystem but also the resilience of collaborative efforts to keep people connected.