Huawei digitally connects Pakistan beyond India’s reach

Posted By : Telegraf
8 Min Read

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PESHAWAR – China is poised to lay the last stretch of a cross-border fiber optic cable in Pakistan, a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project designed in part to cut Pakistan’s current reliance on rival India for internet connectivity.  

The project, led by Chinese telecom giant Huawei and part of Beijing’s so-called “Digital Silk Road”, will complete the Pakistan East Africa Connecting Europe (PEACE) submarine cable in the Arabian Sea, a line that will service BRI-participating countries and Europe.

Reports indicate the cable is now being laid between Rawalpindi and the port cities of Karachi and Gwadar while the underwater portion will start construction in March if and when the government approves to construct an Arabian Sea landing station in Karachi.

The project’s upsides are obvious for both sides. Chinese government Digital Silk Road strategy papers prioritize the building of undersea cables to achieve its stated goal of “global connectivity.” For Pakistan, the modern fiber optic cable will represent a massive upgrade to its largely outdated communication infrastructure.

But while the BRI project will alleviate certain of Pakistan’s cybersecurity concerns related to rival India, some suspect China may have its own ulterior motives. The rising noise around the Digital Silk Road-related cable, analysts say, could yet complicate its ultimate rollout.  

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