PLDT, Hong Kong's PCCW Global to build fiber optic project in four continents

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) engaged Hong Kong-based PCCW Global to build a new international fiber optic network to increase the teleco giant's connectivity in 17 other countries and improve the quality of broadband on the domestic front.

 

In an emailed statement, PLDT said the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1) Cable System is a 25,000-kilometer undersea cable network system that will connect Asia, Middle East, East Africa, and Europe using 100 Gigabits per second (Gbps) technology with a minimum capacity use of 10 Gbps.

 

The investment in AAE-1 is part of the telco's P31 billion to P32 billion capital expenditure for the year.

 

“This new cable system will facilitate the PLDT Group’s growth and expansion, allowing it to serve more customers not only in the country but in Europe and the Middle East as well,” president and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno said in the statement on Thursday.

 

“It will also allow the PLDT Group to offer products and services, such as enterprise data and internet services to customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa," he added.

 

The submarine cable system – which will be completed in 2016 – will connect the Philippines to 17 countries namely France, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Djibouti, Pakistan, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

 

PLDT International Network vice president Gene Sanchez will also enhance the group’s capability to offer its customers the latest bandwidth-heavy broadband applications that require international access, such as IP-based data, external video content, and other multimedia services.

 

“Once operational, AAE-1 will enable PLDT and its group of companies, including Smart Communications and Sun Cellular, to serve the ever-increasing bandwidth requirements of their combined customer base," he said. – Danessa O. Rivera/VS, GMA News