PLDT eyes $40-M cable landing, data center in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is looking to invest about $40 million for a cable landing station and data center in Mindanao to boost its network.

Eric Alberto, executive vice president and head of enterprise at PLDT and Smart Communications Inc., said the company wants a cable landing facility and data center in Mindanao within the next two to three years.

He said the company may invest a minimum $40 million for the cable landing station and data center in Mindanao.

The final amount would depend on what is agreed upon with telecommunication firms from Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia.

“We are looking at a variety of consortium, with the Indonesian, Bruneian and Malaysian telcos… We have about two or three options. We are finding out which is the most feasible for us,” Alberto said.

The cable landing station would link to Japan and then to the US.

The company is looking to invest in a cable landing station and data center in Mindanao to augment existing facilities in Luzon.

The company has cable landing stations in Nasugbu in Batangas, Bauang in La Union, and in Daet, Camarines Norte.

PLDT has earlier injected $55 million to the $550-million Asia-America Gateway project in La Union involving a 20,000-kilometer undersea cable network.

The project connects Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii, and the US West Coast using 40 gigabits per second (Gbps) technology and upgradeable to 100 Gbps, with a minimum design capacity of 15 terabits.

PLDT has also participated in the 25,000-km Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1) submarine cable network linking Southeast Asia to Europe, by pouring in $10 million.

The AAE-1 is expected to be completed by next year.

The PLDT Group, through IP Converge Data Services Inc. and PLDT Alpha Enterprise, operates six data centers in Sucat, Parañaque; Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; Pasig; Subic; Mandaue City, Cebu; and Makati City.

A seventh data center is currently under construction in Makati, while another one is being put up in Clark to bring the group’s total capacity to over 8,000 racks from just 3,300 at present.

Alberto said both data center facilities are expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter up to May of next year.

In a related development, PLDT Home Fibr has introduced the country’s first and fastest broadband plan at 1 Gbps.

With plans starting at P1,899, Fibr is now available in over 1,600 Fibr-powered villages nationwide including Valle Verde 1-6, Forbes Park, Dasmariñas Village and Ayala Alabang Village, among others.

Earlier this year, PLDT Home Fibr also upgraded the speeds of all its plans from a minimum speed of 8 Mbps (megabits per second) to 20 Mbps, all the way up to the 100 Mbps plan which was boosted to 200 Mbps.

“These massive speed boosts and the new symmetrical speeds combined with our unparalleled offers let our subscribers experience the ultimate digital lifestyle at the comforts of their home. As the country’s most powerful broadband, PLDT Home Fibr stands firm on its commitment to provide topnotch services for its consumers, reinforcing the strongest connections at home,” Gary Dujali, PLDT vice president and head of Home marketing said.