Daily TribuneTelecoms giant PLDT Inc. has started the construction of the $75-million Asia Direct Cable in Batangas, months after it successfully launched the Jupiter cable system, to further expand its international cable network and position the country as a strategic digital hub in the region.
In a market report on Monday, the company said the commencement of the 9,400-kilometer subsea cable project kicked off in the country and all landing links are expected to be complete by the end of 2023.
The ADC will link seven international cable landing points across East and Southeast Asia from Batangas, the Philippines to Tuas, Singapore; Chung Hom Kok, Hong Kong; Maruyama, Japan; Quy Nhon, Vietnam; Sri Racha, Thailand; and Shantou, China.
Along with PLDT's existing international submarine cable systems, the Asia Direct Cable will boost and diversify the Philippines' connectivity within the Asian region," PLDT president and CEO Al S. Panlilio said.
"ADC will strengthen not only PLDT's global network but will also further advance the country's digitalization and growing digital economy," he added.
High-capacity system
The cable system will feature a minimum of 200G DWDM system per wavelength design, which will significantly expand PLDT's network bandwidth going in and out of the country.
Once fully equipped, this will provide PLDT with an additional international network capacity of at least 36Tbps for faster delivery of hyperscale data across East and Southeast Asia.
Submarine fiber optic cables are among the most critical components of the internet's infrastructure, as they serve as the global backbone connecting countries while carrying massive amounts of data that enable digital trade across the globe.
PLDT said that ADC and the recently energized Jupiter cable system will drive global data straight to and from VITRO Sta. Rosa and the rest of its data center facilities across the country.
ADC is a global consortium of leading communications and technology companies, including PLDT, China Telecom, China Unicom, National Telecom, Singtel, SoftBank Corp., Tata Communications, and Viettel Group.
