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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider PLDT targets 2027 completion for Apricot submarine cable system

PLDT targets 2027 completion for Apricot submarine cable system

Published Apr 1, 2025 09:12 am

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Telecommunications giant PLDT Inc. is expected to boost its international capacity for data traffic in the Asia-Pacific region upon the activation of the Apricot submarine cable system in 2027.

Early this month, PLDT announced that it has completed cable laying in the branches of Baler, Aurora, and Digos City, Davao del Sur.

Apricot covers 12,000 kilometers (km) across seven destinations in the region, enabling PLDT to process more data to and from neighboring countries, as well as the United States (US) via Guam.

The main trunk of Apricot consists of 12 fiber pairs, each capable of approximately 17.6 terabit per second (Tbps), for a total capacity of more than 211 Tbps.

Aside from Baler and Digos, the cable system includes branches in Tanjung Pakis, Indonesia; Tuas, Singapore; Toucheng, Taiwan; Minamiboso, Japan; and Agat, Guam.

Apricot is being built by a consortium comprising PLDT, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corp., Chunghwa Telecom, Google, and Meta.

Benedict Patrick Alcoseba, first vice-president and head of enterprise product management and marketing of PLDT, said the cable system was originally scheduled for activation in 2026.

However, it was moved to the following year after facing permitting issues in Indonesia.

The cable laying progress in Philippine waters remains on track.

Alcoseba said that once Apricot is operational, the telco giant will have “better resiliency and more capacity” to keep connectivity stable.

PLDT said earlier that the Apricot system will boost its international capacity by as high as 33 percent or more than 140 Tbps.

As part of the company’s ongoing effort to meet the region’s growing demand for high-capacity data services, it is planning to install up to three more submarine cable systems after Apricot.

Alcoseba noted that this remains under “exploratory discussions,” as the company is still looking into costs, demand from tech companies, and prospective routes.

“We equip capacity based on demand, based on the projection. We’ll have a clear direction on that probably by next year,” he told reporters in an interview last week.

“So we should be able to light up some more after that. Because the demand for the internet is exploding,” he added.

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APRICOT CABLE SYSTEM PLDT Inc.
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