NTT WE Marine to launch cable-laying vessel in April
Japanese contractor NTT World Engineering (WE) Marine Corp., a partner of Globe Telecom and PLDT Inc., is anticipating a growth in demand for undersea cable networks in the Philippines with the upcoming launch of a new cable-laying vessel.
This April, the vessel operator is set to deploy CS VEGA II, registered under the Philippine flag, to do both laying and maintenance of local and international submarine cables.
Filipino and Japanese engineers will be aboard this ship to monitor the operations.
Mamoru Watanabe, NTT WE Marine president and CEO, told reporters last week they were seeing “a lot of opportunities coming into the Philippines,” especially for international subsea cable projects.
Submarine fiber networks facilitate data traffic across several points in the world, improving access to the internet. The increasingly digital landscape has prompted more investments in this infrastructure.
One of them is the 2,500-kilometer (km) Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN), which is built by NTT in partnership with Globe, telco player Eastern Communications and digital solutions provider InfiniVAN.
The landing stations for the $150-million PDSCN are situated in Lucena City, Quezon; Boaca, Marinduque; Calatrava, Tablas Island, Romblon; Roxas City, Capiz; Placer, Masbate; Palompon, Leyte; Mactan, Cebu; Talisay City, Cebu; Tagbilaran City, Bohol; and Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental.
NTT WE Marine is also maintaining the submarine cable network of PLDT under a three-year contract that will conclude by 2026. It is subject to potential extension.
“They’ve (NTT WE Marine) been very helpful and excellent partners in being able to help us with the maintenance and repair of our submarine cables,” PLDT chief operating officer Menardo Jimenez Jr. said.
The Pangilinan-led company activated the US-Transpacific Jupiter cable system in July 2022. The 14,000-km cable system links a landing station in Daet, Camarines Norte and Japan.
Apart from Globe and PLDT, competitor Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is also working on its 15,000-km BiFrost Cable System, which will connect the Philippines to Singapore, Indonesia, Guam and the west coast of North America.
