Longest fiber cable network connects to Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — The longest submarine fiber cable network in the Philippines has reached Mindanao for the first time since rolling out in July.

Globe Telecom Inc. yesterday reported that the Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) has landed on the shores of Siargao, raising the network connectivity of the island.

The PDSCN will improve internet access for residents, firms and tourists in Siargao, as the island at present only depends on microwave radio for its telco services.

Rene Martin Go, senior director for transport engineering and optimization at Globe, said putting up fiber assets in Siargao would speed up its recovery from the devastation wrought by Typhoon Odette.

The provincial government of Surigao del Norte said the island suffered at least P20 billion in damage from the typhoon that hit the area in December 2021.

“We all saw how Super Typhoon Odette severely affected Siargao. We believe fiber connectivity will help the community recover faster,” Go said.

“By improving the island’s communication infrastructure, our project will help boost businesses, support connectivity needs for school and for work and provide a better-connected environment that is conducive to tourism,” he said.

Likewise, Eastern Communications head of network planning, engineering and implementation division Delfin Lopez said locals of Siargao stand to gain from the landing of the PDSCN in their island given the connectivity boost that they are set to receive from its activation.

“Connecting islands, small or big, across the Philippine archipelago, will bring positive outcomes in improving the lives of the residents of Siargao in particular,” Lopez said.

On the other hand, InfiniVAN chief technology officer Alberto Espedido said the PDSCN can be maximized by Siargao enterprises to market their island as a work from home destination.

At the height of the pandemic, tourist spots like La Union offered remote work sites for employees who took advantage of the flexible arrangements extended to them by their employers.

“Working remotely is elevated further because now people can even work from paradise. We all know Siargao is a hub for digital nomads from around the world and this particular PDSCN does not only connect major islands of the country but also connects several tourist islands, including Siargao,” Espedido said.

In July Globe, Eastern Communications and InfiniVAN sent off the state of the art vessel Cable Infinity, maneuvered by Kokusai Cable Ship Co. Ltd., to lay the undersea fiber cable that would make up the 2,500 kilometer PDSCN spanning from Luzon to Mindanao.