An update on the Philippines’ longest subsea cable
Last January, Globe Telecom announced that it was set to complete the Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) by April 2023. The domestic fiber optic network is a collaborative project with InfiniVAN and Eastern Telecom.
The 2,500-km backbone network features 33 points throughout the Philippines. Most of the connections (20) were completed in 2022, with the latter half (13 connections) scheduled for completion this year.
Officially kicked-off on August 4, 2022, the fiber network project “aims to improve both mobile and broadband connectivity and fiberize previously unserved areas in the country’s three main island groups.”
One of the target areas recently completed, Zamboanga City, belongs to Region 9 where barangay access to fiber-optic cable was only 15 percent in 2019.
In Cebu, the Lapu-lapu City government said the PDSCN can transform the city’s tourism and economic potential.
The project saw not just local collaboration but international as well. Borrowing the expertise of Japanese companies, the project worked with Kukosai Cable Ship Co Ltd for the first 15 segments and NTT World Engineering Marine Corp for the remaining 9 segments.
PDSCN also presents an opportunity for boosting network resilience, especially in calamity-prone areas. Its presence in Siargao and Leyte, among others, will allow these regions to maintain communication during natural disasters, as the network adds another layer of redundancy.
Hopefully, the PDSCN serves as an important model for more telecom and Internet companies to collaborate in expanding the country’s digital infrastructure. By sharing resources, expertise, and multiple Internet technology solutions, reaching the country’s digitalization goals may be within reach.
Notes:
*For the Batangas and Mindoro segments, there were no news articles on their completion. However, given the cable’s connection to Aklan, it is assumed to have been completed first.
*News articles published on Cebu’s connection to PDSCN report on Mactan, Cebu but does not show in Telegeography’s map. However, connections were established in Talisay and Liloan, Cebu. Both cities are close to Mactan island.
