PTA announces launch date for 2Africa submarine cable operations

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced updates on the 2Africa Submarine cable for Pakistan and disclosed its expected operational date.

“Supported by a global consortium of eight partners, including Meta and Vodafone, the 2Africa cable is set to go live in Pakistan by Q4 (fourth quarter) in 2025,” the PTA said in a press release.

The PTA reported making significant progress in improving international connectivity by facilitating Transworld Associates (TWA), the landing partner for the 2Africa Submarine cable in Pakistan.

“One of the world’s largest submarine cable systems, the 2Africa cable spans 45,000 kilometers and connects 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Utilizing SDM1 technology, it offers 180Tbps capacity.”

The PTA announced that Phase I of the project, which involves the Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) installation, began on December 1, 2024, with the cable landing at Hawksbay, Karachi. It added that Phase II, which will involve laying the deep-sea cable, will start on April 1, 2025.

According to the PTA, the project will enhance Pakistan’s international telecommunications infrastructure and improve connectivity.

The report states that Pakistan ranks lower than Palestine, Bhutan, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Libya in internet speed. Pakistan’s average mobile internet download speed is 19.59 Mbps, while its broadband internet averages 15.52 Mbps.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) leads globally in both mobile and broadband internet speeds, with Singapore leading in mobile internet and Qatar topping broadband speeds.

In recent months, internet users across Pakistan have increasingly voiced their frustrations over frequent outages and slow internet speeds.

This issue has particularly affected the country’s freelancing community, raising concerns about its potential to increase unemployment rates.