PLDT gets NTC nod for two cable landing stations

PLDT Inc. said on Wednesday that it received provisional authority from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to construct two new cable stations.

The two new stations in Baler, Aurora, and Digos, Davao del Sur will host the Apricot cable system, an intra-Asia submarine cable that faces the Pacific side of the Philippines.

They will give telecommunication companies alternate routes that do not traverse the usual West Philippine Sea waters, PLDT said in a press release.

“The Apricot cable system’s route ensures a significantly higher degree of resilience. When our Baler and Davao cable landing stations are completed, PLDT will have alternate sites facing the Pacific, making it easier to hook up to data offices in the US,” said PLDT President and Chief Executive Officer Alfredo S. Panlilio in a statement.

The new cable landing facilities and the Apricot cable system are expected to be completed by 2025 and will connect the Philippines to Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Guam.

The cable system will further augment PLDT’s international capacity and raise it to more than 140 terabytes per second once fully equipped.

It is also expected to help PLDT in delivering higher speeds and lower latency in and out of the Philippines, and add resiliency to its existing landing stations in Batangas, La Union, and Daet in Camarines Norte.

“As we help position the Philippines as the new hyperscaler destination and major transit hub in Asia, we continue to upgrade and build on the foundations of PLDT’s global network infrastructure,” said Mr. Panlilio.

“These investments enable us to provide superior digital services to our consumer and enterprise customers, deliver newer technologies with our 4G, and 5G capabilities, and add value for attracting hyperscalers and investors to expand their cloud in the country,” he added.

As of the end of the first quarter, PLDT’s fiber footprint reached 231,000 kilometers of international fiber and over 874,000 kilometers of domestic fiber, the company said.

At the stock exchange on Wednesday, shares in PLDT climbed P17 or 1.32% to P1,306 apiece.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Justine Irish D. Tabile