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

This is picture taken during the IPs Infinivan-DICT deal signing.

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

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