DICT inks ₱5.6 B in New International Gateway Investment with Japan

Photo Credit: CICC

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John D. Uy reported that Japan’s telecom giant IPS Inc. has earmarked an additional $100M or ₱5.6 billion in new investments into the Philippines for 2023 to 2024.

In a ceremony held in Tokyo last Aug. 25, Secretary Uy and IPS Chief Executive Officer Koji Miyashita signed a Memorandum of Support to expand the capacity of a modern and secure gateway for the Philippines to the rest of the world via Japan.

“This will ensure likewise unhampered data connectivity via the Eastern Seaboard away from the highly contested South China Sea,” Uy said.

In another development, InfiniVAN Inc., an IPS affiliate in the Philippines, offered another estimated investment of ₱4 billion under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement that would fast-track the deployment and connectivity of the National Broadband Plan, also referred to as the Broadband ng Masa Program (BBMP). The proposal is now being considered by the DICT.

CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos, who was also present at the Tokyo signing, welcomed this partnership with IPS and Infinivan as a testament to the nation’s growing importance in the global digital landscape.

“The investment aligns seamlessly with the country’s Digital Transformation Strategy, which seeks to leverage technology for inclusive growth and progress,” he said.

During the exploratory talks, InfiniVAN proposed the acquisition of dark fiber pairs on the Infinivan-led Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) in order to complete the backbone of the National Broadband Plan.

Securing dark fiber-based capacities on international submarine cable systems that have touch points in major hubs such as Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, the U.S., and Europe with landing points in the Philippines was also discussed during the exploratory talks in Tokyo.

InfiniVAN’s proposal covers a distance of 2,700 kilometers of fiber optic cable linking Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, covering 26 new landing points. They include the following:

1. Batangas-Mindoro
2. Mindoro-Boracay
3. Lucena-Marinduque
4. Marinduque-Tablas
5. Capiz-Tablas
6. Masbate1-Capiz
7. Iloilo-Bacolod
8. Negros Occidental-Western Cebu
9. Zamboanga Del Norte1-Negros Oriental
10. Surigao Del Norte-Southern Leyte
11. Western Leyte-Cebu1
12. Samar-Masbate2
13. Masbate2-Sorsogon
14. Boracay-Aklan
15. Siargao-Surigao Del Sur
16. Camiguin-Misamis Oriental
17. Masbate1-Western Leyte
18. Cebu2-Bohol
19. Bohol-CDO
20. CDO-Zamboanga Del Norte1
21. Zamboanga Del Norte2-Zamboanga Del Norte1
22. Zamboanga Del Norte2-Zamboanga Del Sur
23. Camarines Sur-Tablas
24. Southern Leyte-Cebu1
25. Masbate1-Masbate2 UG Terrestrial
26. Cebu1-Cebu2 UG Terrestrial

Issued by the Office of CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos