Globe Telecom kicks off cable project in Cagayan

Globe Telecom has started construction of a cable landing station in Cagayan and targets to complete this $40 million investment in November this year. The cellular firm is the exclusive landing party in the Philippines to the new cable project spearheaded by VSNL International, a member of the Tata Group of India. Tata Group of India will set up a trans-Asian submarine cable system that will link the Philippines to Hong Kong and Singapore, with connectivity via the TGN Pacific network to Japan, Guam and the United States. “As a member and Philippine representative/operator of the TGN-IACS, Globe invested the amount of $40 million to the project. As such, it has already begun construction of a landing station in Ballesteros, Cagayan," the cellular firm told the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Over the weekend, Globe filed an application with the NTC for the issuance of certificate of public convenience and necessity or CPCN to establish, install, operate and maintain an international cable landing station, the company’s second after the Batangas international cable landing and submarine cable system. Globe said the first cable system is vulnerable to earthquakes and other natural calamities. In order to prevent another disruption of service brought about by the recent Taiwan earthquake, the company will be expanding its existing switching and transmission facilities by constructing another cable landing station. The cable station will allow the cellular firm to introduce state-of-the-art facilities for sending and receiving its own network and interconnect traffic via existing IGF (international gateway facility) and IXC (inter-exchange carrier) facilities. The cellular firm said this is in line with its objective to provide more efficient and affordable service, and in answer to the increasing demand for international bandwidth. “The expansion of facilities and introduction of new equipment through this cable landing station will allow Globe to establish voice connectivity for its IGF service with its foreign correspondents that will in turn be piped in to its and other carriers’ subscribers. Moreover, the cable station would also allow the landing of domestic cable facilities that would enable Globe’s IXC service to establish direct voice connectivity with its interconnected parties," said Globe. A technical description of the IACS cable landing station submitted by Globe to the NTC stated that the cable station will house the submarine cable termination equipment, transmission multiplex equipment, optical and digital distribution panels, computer workstations, power rectifier and inverter systems, DC battery system, generators and fuel storage tank. Globe said the construction is covered by all the necessary permits such as those issued by the local government of Ballesteros, Cagayan. The cable station, which will be operated 24x7, will be connected by a fully protected inland fiber optic backhaul network to Metro Manila. The IACS is a state-of-the-art multi-terabit fiber optic submarine cable system linking the Philippines to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan with capability for other landings in Asia in the future. Direct connectivity to the United States and Guam will be provided via the existing trans-Pacific cable, the TGBN-Pacific. It will be deploying the latest technology in Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM). A spur of the IACS will be anchored in a beach manhole at Ballesteros. The submarine cable will terminate at a cable station, located about two kilometers from the beach manhole. Globe urged the NTC to immediately act on its application even before the initial hearing of the case. This is because the country, it said, needs additional capacity for international services to address the ever-growing demand brought about by the rapid growth of the cellular mobile telephone system, leased line, Internet and other telecommunications services. “Needles to say, this proposed cable landing system, which will bring to the fore the most modern and seamless telecommunications technology, shall be a vital instrument in the attainment of economic recovery for the country. Moreover, this project is targeted for completion by November 2008," said Globe. - GMANews.TV