PLDT improves Luzon-Visayas connectivity with major submarine fiber project

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) deployed additional submarine fiber links to improve connectivity in Luzon, particularly in the southern Luzon provinces of Sorsogon, Quezon, Albay and Occidental Mindoro, and some parts of Visayas, such as Samar and Aklan.

This project is part of the PLDT Group’s sustained investments in their network-related initiatives which made up the bulk of the ₱89 billion spend for 2021, bringing its total capex spent over the last 10 years to ₱518.5 billion.

"We continue to fortify our future with the upgrade and expansion of our fiber network to serve as many Filipinos as possible and enable their pivot to digital in the new normal--powering hybrid workplaces, e-commerce, online banking and distance learning even in remote islands," PLDT and Smart Head of Technology Mario Tamayo revealed.

Tamayo bared that the project involves the laying of over 600-kilometers of submarine fiber optic cable to replace old domestic fiber optic network (DFON) links and enhance the resiliency of PLDT's network, as it provides additional new fiber routes.

He said, representatives from PLDT and NTT World Engineering Marine (NTT WE MARINE) inspected the loading of the submarine cables onto the sea vessel “Subaru” that was docked in Bauan, Batangas.

This took PLDT a step closer to deploying this fiber to the seabed as additional submarine fiber links to improve connectivity in Luzon and some parts of the Visayas, he added that this project also helps ensure that PLDT's network services stay available in the event of fiber breaks.

Once finished, Tamayo said the project will fiber up for the first time Lubang island in Mindoro, Semirara island in Antique and Burias in Masbate that will eventually enable PLDT to offer fiber-to-the-home services to customers in those areas.

The project will also enhance PLDT's wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart)'s mobile network services in the islands, particularly for LTE and 5G and fortify existing aerial cables with underground inland cables, which is essential in ensuring network resiliency, particularly in typhoon-prone provinces. (Photos: PLDT/Google Images)