By Brian Jules Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday night expressed excitement and optimism for reliable internet connectivity for Filipinos as the country lit up the beam of the Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN).
Spanning approximately 2,500 kilometers, President Marcos noted that the $150-million PDSCN project is already the “longest and highest capacity domestic submarine fiber network” in the country which connects its islands in various touch points from Quezon to Zamboanga.
“Because of this connection, we now find a long-term solution that delivers high-connectivity and high-speed internet for our people and facilitates the realization of the Bagong Pilipinas we envision for our country,” Marcos said in a speech as he led the lighting ceremony of the PDSCN in Makati City.
Lauding private firm InfiniVAN Inc. and its partners, Globe Telecom and Eastern Telecommunications, the President dubbed the project as “truly a game changer in the Philippines’ quest to be amongst equals in terms of internet interconnectivity and digital transformation.”
He stressed that through the PDSCN, the government aims to improve the country’s world standing in terms of broadband and mobile internet speed and coverage by providing more efficient digital services to Filipinos located in both urban and rural areas.
It is also expected to help facilitate the government’s efforts to streamline public data and digitalize government services.
“With this project, we will be able to better position our country as an even more attractive destination for technology-centric businesses, such as hyperscale data centers and AI (Artificial intelligence) computing,” the Chief Executive added.
Marcos also attributed the realization of the project to the long-standing friendship of the Philippines and Japan, noting that the PDSCN is a “shared vision” of both countries.
“It is also a testament not only to Japanese ingenuity and technological advancement that we strive to emulate, but also to the strong bonds of friendship that connect our two countries forever,” he said.
The Philippines, Marcos said, is open to more investments to improve internet connectivity in the country and the administration is committed to promoting ease of doing business to “facilitate the establishment of critical infrastructure in telecommunications.” – avds
