PLDT building P7 B US-Japan cable link

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc. is spending close to P7 billion for a new cable system to increase the capacity and resiliency of undersea fiber links to the US and Japan as it expects continued growth in data traffic.

The fiber optic submarine cable system will connect directly to Maruyama and Shima in Japan, and Los Angeles in the US to PLDT’s cable landing station in Daet, Camarines Norte to meet the rising data traffic and complement existing cable systems.

It is expected to be ready for operation in early 2020.

PLDT’s investment in the cable system includes the purchase of complementary terminal equipment and other related facilities.

Aside from PLDT, global companies such as Amazon, Facebook, SoftBank, PCCW Global and NTT Communications will take part in building and operating the cable system.

“We are investing in this new cable system in anticipation of the continued explosion of data traffic over the next few years, as households and businesses in the Philippines adopt more and more digital services,” PLDT chairman, president and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

“Along with our other technology initiatives, this new project will enable PLDT to gear up for the emerging ‘Gigabit Society’ where ultra-high-speed connectivity will support a wide range of bandwidth-heavy, low-latency digital applications and internet-of-things (IOT) services,” he said.

Kat Luna-Abelarde, PLDT first vice president and head of international and carrier business and PLDT Global Corp. president and chief executive officer, said the cable system would boost the group’s capability to provide customers with bandwidth-heavy broadband applications.

“The undersea cable project is specifically designed to give data service providers like PLDT the ability to quickly ramp up capacity when needed,” she said.

PLDT has been investing in international submarine cables to address the country’s growing connectivity needs.