PLDT, int'l partners to build submarine cable connecting region

Telco giant PLDT Inc. and its partners in the Asia Direct Cable (ADC) Consortium are building a high-performance submarine cable connecting the Philippines, China (Guangdong Province), Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In a statement, PLDT said the consortium has tapped Japan’s NEC Corporation to construct the 9,400-kilometer ADC cable, expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022.

“The ADC cable system will strengthen the resiliency of PLDT's international network by providing additional capacity for internet and digital services via a new route through the East and Southeast regions,” the telco said.

“Its high capacity allows it to support increasingly bandwidth-intensive applications which are driven by technological advancements such as 5G, cloud services, the Internet-of-Things, and Artificial Intelligence,” it added.

The cable will also enhance the capabilities of PLDT's extensive fiber cable network which already spans over 338,000 kilometers across the archipelago and links the country to key destinations in different parts of the world.

“The ADC will further improve PLDT's network resiliency by strengthening its data links to Asia and the rest of the world. This will help PLDT to address the expanding demand for more digital services for both enterprises and our individual customers,” PLDT chief revenue officer and Smart President Al Panlilio said.

The cable will feature multiple pairs of high capacity optical fibers and is designed to carry more than 140 Tbps (terabytes per second) of traffic, enabling high capacity transmission of data across the East and Southeast Asian regions, according to PLDT.

The cable is seen to further enhance the expansion of communications networks in the region.

“Along with PLDT’s existing international submarine cable systems, Asia Direct Cable would complement to provide further diversity and resiliency to PLDT’s international network with the capability to boost the internet and data services that it provides to its customers,” PLDT first vice president and head of International & Carrier Business Group, and President/CEO of PLDT Global Corporation Kat Luna-Abelarde said.

For his part, PLDT vice president and head of International Submarine Cable Network Gene Sanchez added that the ADC will be part of the Company's network evolution to cater to new technologies across the system and enable PLDT's network to work intelligently using software applications.

The ADC is a global consortium of leading communications and technology companies, including CAT Telecom, China Telecom, China Unicom, Singtel, SoftBank Corp., Tata Communications, and Viettel. — DVM, GMA News