The 9,400-kilometer underwater Asia Direct Cable (ADC) “landed” in Nasugbu, Batangas on Friday, marking the first major development since PLDT Inc. announced the start of its construction last month.
The $75-million cable system is slated for completion by the end of next year. ADC is an international consortium whose members include PLDT, China Telecom, China Unicom, National Telecom, Singtel, SoftBank Corp., Tata Communications and Viettel Group.
“We are grateful to the local government of Batangas for working with us to land another subsea cable system that will not only cement Batangas’ position as a crucial landing point of global data in the Philippines but more so propel the country’s digitalization,” PLDT senior vice president and head of enterprise and international business group Jojo Gendrano said during the inauguration.
From the Philippines, ADC will be connected to Tuas, Singapore; Chung Hom Kok, Hong Kong; Maruyama, Japan; Quy Nhon, Vietnam; Sri Racha, Thailand; and Shantou, China.
The cable system will increase international network capacity by at least 36 terabits per second, which will result in faster delivery of hyperscale data across East and Southeast Asia.
PLDT explained that submarine fiber optic cables were a crucial component of the internet infrastructure as they carry the data that allow digital trade across the world.
“We remain resolute to our commitment to building the country’s hyperscale ecosystem that will further the country’s position as the next digital destination in Asia Pacific,” Gendrano said.
—Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
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