Internet users across several cities in Pakistan are facing slow speeds, which have disrupted access to various online platforms and services.
Users struggled with internet browsing and the uploading and downloading of media such as images, videos, and voice notes.
This has created challenges for individuals engaged in online businesses, who depend on a stable internet connection for their operations.
The disruption was confirmed by a detector firm, which showed a spike in outages for WhatsApp, Gmail, Instagram, and TikTok around 11am on December 1, 2024. The outages impacted users who rely on these platforms for communication, work, and social engagement.
While internet disruptions are not uncommon in Pakistan, the frequency of such outages has increased in recent months. Last week, internet and mobile services were temporarily disrupted in Islamabad during a political protest by the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Additionally, the government has conducted multiple tests of its internet firewall this year, which have slowed down internet speeds and caused digital disruptions in the past.
At present, the cause of the current slowdown in internet speed remains unclear, and authorities have not provided an official explanation for the ongoing issue.
