ISLAMABAD (Daily Point) — The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has officially confirmed that recent internet disruptions were a result of ongoing upgrades to a Web Management System.
This upgrade is anticipated to last for two to three months, with contracts for the process arranged by internet operators. Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, who gained attention earlier for stating that internet outages might occur around election time, emphasized that the disruptions were due to technical reasons related to system installations.
During a press conference in Islamabad, DG PTA mentioned that a software upgrade was in progress, acknowledging potential challenges in the process. The country experienced three instances of internet disruption in recent months, coinciding with announced online events by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Despite government claims of innocence, concerns persist.
Responding to inquiries, PTA clarified that the ongoing operation involved Web Management Systems on landing stations, particularly for internet submarine cables like Sea-Me-We 3, 4, 5, etc. The spokesperson confirmed the deployment, upgrade, and testing of these systems would likely conclude within the next 2-3 months. The statement outlined that these upgrades were essential to counteract grey traffic and illegal content under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
PTA emphasized that the Web Management Systems were deployed by operators following regulatory obligations and court directives to address grey traffic and illegal content. The authority asserted it had no involvement in procurement or contractual arrangements related to the ongoing system upgrades.
The news story also delved into the nature of the Web Monitoring System (WMS) acquired by Pakistan from the Canadian firm Sandvine in 2018. WMS employs deep packet inspection (DPI) to monitor internet communications, comparable to postal censorship during wartime. DPI allows for the identification and blocking of specific data or code payloads. The story explained that countries like Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and others use WMS for similar purposes.
PTA has instructed operators and vendors to ensure uninterrupted internet service during this phase of upgrades, reassuring users in Pakistan that they should not face any disruptions or degradation in internet quality.
