By Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter
GLOBE Telecom, Inc., PLDT Inc., and Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. have proposed a $500-million (about P30.63-billion) nationwide undersea fiber-optic network to expand connectivity across the Philippines, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.
“There is a proposal from Globe, PLDT, and Converge to fiberize the whole country using undersea cable,” Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda told reporters during a roundtable briefing last week.
The proposal calls for laying undersea fiber-optic cables from Batanes to Palawan, with links extending to the Visayas and Mindanao.
The DICT is evaluating the proposal, which remains subject to government approval before implementation.
The planned network would use undersea cables instead of traditional land-based lines to connect islands and other areas that currently lack telecommunications service.
Once approved, the project is expected to be completed within two years, Mr. Aguda said.
“The benefit of this (proposed) fiber optic cable is it has the digital acoustic system, which allows cable to detect seismic movements for earthquake, tsunami,” he said, noting that the technology would enable real-time data collection and could also be used for national defense.
“What’s good about this proposal is that this is being pushed by these three telcos, I think (they are a consortium).”
The DICT said the proposed network would complement the government’s National Fiber Backbone project, one of the agency’s flagship connectivity initiatives.
Mr. Aguda said the project would require interagency collaboration because it is intended as a domestic network.
The National Fiber Backbone program aims to improve internet speeds through high-speed fiber-optic infrastructure.
In May, the DICT said it was fast-tracking Phases 4 and 5 of the National Fiber Backbone project, which are scheduled for completion within the year.
The project is expected to provide faster and more reliable internet connectivity, with about 70 million Filipinos projected to benefit.
“For the foreign points, what we planned to do is, because we have 14 international points of presence, we planned to connect all these landing stations,” Mr. Aguda said.
According to the DICT, the proposed domestic undersea fiber network would also connect to international submarine cable systems.
Globe recently joined the Candle Cable System consortium in April to strengthen the Philippines’ digital backbone by linking the country to submarine cable systems across Asia.
PLDT has invested in the Apricot cable system, a 12,000-kilometer undersea fiber-optic network providing a direct connection between Singapore and Japan.
Meanwhile, Converge participates in the Bifrost and Southeast Asia Hainan-Hong Kong Express Cable System (SEA-H2X) international cable systems.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.
