The consortium building the $150-million Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) has tapped Japanese firm NTT World Engineering (WE) Marine Corp. for the last leg of the undersea cable project.
Consortium members Globe, Eastern Communications, and InfiniVAN said NTT WE Marine will take charge of the landing and laying of cables in the project’s nine remaining segments that cover 13 sites through its cable ship Subaru.
“With the final phase of the PDSCN in motion, we are excited to take a major step towards our goal of nation-building through digitalization. We are committed to completing the project to provide a First World Network by bringing fast and reliable connectivity to every corner of the Philippines,” Globe Group President and CEO Ernest Cu said in a statement.
“This is a crucial step towards bridging the digital divide and providing equitable and reliable connectivity, which is essential for the economic and social development of our country.”
The last 13 sites of the 2,500-kilometer cable system are the following: Calatrava, Romblon; Pasacao, Camarines Sur; Bulan, Sorsogon; Calbayog City, Samar; Palanas, Masbate; Mactan, Cebu; Maasin City, Leyte; Claver, Surigao del Norte; Kinoguitan, Misamis Oriental; Camiguin; Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte; Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte; and Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur.
The partners started deploying the said infrastructure in July 2022. So far, they have completed 15 segments of the subsea cable system.
Established in 1998, NTT WE Marine has a branch in the Philippines and offices in Nagasaki and Yokohama, Japan. It specializes in cable landing using its fleet of vessels.
