WhatsApp, Facebook & Instagram Services May Be Disrupted in Pakistan, IT Ministry Warns
PTA Links Internet Slowdown to Rising VPN Usage
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology has issued a warning that social media services, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, may face disruptions in Pakistan. The statement highlighted that technical issues in the submarine cables could affect these platforms, particularly during peak usage hours.
To mitigate the impact, additional bandwidth has been added to reduce the disruptions caused by the cable faults, leading to noticeable improvements in internet speeds. However, the Ministry cautioned that there might still be slower service on platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram during peak hours.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) recently attributed the slowdown in internet services to the growing use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in the country. According to the PTA, VPN traffic has exacerbated the slowdown, and the increased demand on international bandwidth could lead to a loss of foreign exchange.
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The PTA report also pointed out that the use of VPNs costs Pakistan approximately one dollar per megabyte. Due to the disruptions, the reliance on VPNs has surged, bypassing local Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), which typically provide around 70% of the internet content in Pakistan.
