Overview
- The IT ministry told lawmakers that four to five submarine cables near Yemen were severed and two of the affected links serve Pakistan.
- Telecom operators have shifted bandwidth to alternative routes to keep services running, which has reduced speeds nationwide.
- PTCL said cuts near Jeddah partially hit capacity on the SMW4 and IMEWE systems and that international partners are prioritizing restoration.
- Repairs require specialized vessels and coordination, and full service recovery is estimated to take four to five weeks.
- Officials said agreements are in place for three new cables linking directly to Europe, expected to come online within 12 to 18 months.