Internet service partially restored after suspension

ISLAMABAD: The PTCL service has been partially resumed which remained suspended across the country for several hours on Friday shutting down the internet facility affecting almost all web-based commercial activities and domestic consumers as well, local media reported.

The internet service is down in many parts of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Attock, Mardan and federal capital Islamabad. The users are facing great difficulties and many business activities have practically come to a halt due to non-availability of internet services. The PTA spokesperson said that the telecommunication authority is looking into the matter and trying to find the reasons for the internet shutdown.

However, the plausible reason he gave was the technical problem in the south and north regions’ data networks. “As reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL), [an] issue has been reported in data networks between South and North which is causing internet connectivity issues.

“This issue is being investigated. The PTA is monitoring the situation and further updates will be shared,” the authority said. He explained that the optical fiber network connected one city to another and if there was problem in it, it affected the data transmission services in the connected cities. He said that the fault in the optical fiber occurred due to recent spell of heavy rains and floods across the country. “As a result, PTCL users in northern and central regions are facing [an] internet outage. Our teams are working to restore the services on priority,” the spokerperson said.