MANILA, Philippines- Naglaan ang tinaguriang telecom giant IPS Inc. ng Japan ng karagdagang USD100 million (PHP5.6 billion) sa bagong investment nito sa Pilipinas para sa taong 2023 hanggang 2024.
Sa katunayan, kapwa lumagda sina Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy at IPS chief executive officer Koji Miyashita ng isang memorandum of support sa isang seremonya sa Tokyo noong Agosto 25 para palawakin ang kapasidad ng isang “modern at secure gateway” para sa Pilipinas tungo sa ibang bahagi ng mundo sa pamamagitan ng Japan.
“This will likewise ensure unhampered data connectivity via the Eastern Seaboard away from the highly contested South China Sea,” ayon kay Uy.
Sa kabilang dako, ang InfiniVAN Inc., isang IPS affiliate sa Pilipinas, ay nag-alok ng panibagong investment na P4 billion sa ilalim ng public-private partnership arrangement na magpapabilis sa “deployment at connectivity” ng National Broadband Plan, o mas kilala bilang Broadband ng Masa Program (BBMP).
Ang panukala ay kinokonsidera na ngayon ng DICT.
Welcome naman kay Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center executive director Alexander Ramos ang partnership sa IPS at InfiniVAN bilang patunay sa lumalagong kahalagahan sa global digital landscape sa bansa.
“The investment aligns seamlessly with the country’s Digital Transformation Strategy, which seeks to leverage technology for inclusive growth and progress,” ayon kay Ramos, kasama rin sa Tokyo signing.
Sa isinagawang exploratory talks, ipinanukala ng InfiniVAN ang pagkakaroon ng dark fiber pairs sa Infinivan-led Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network para makumpleto ang ‘backbone’ ng BBMP.
“Securing dark fiber-based capacities on international submarine cable systems that have touch points in major hubs such as Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, the United States and Europe with landing points in the Philippines was also discussed during the exploratory talks in Tokyo,” ayon sa ulat.
“InfiniVAN’s proposal covers a distance of 2,700 kilometers of fiber optic cable linking Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and covering 26 new landing points,” dagdag pa rito.
Isinama ng mga ito ang Batangas-Mindoro, Mindoro-Boracay, Lucena-Marinduque, Marinduque-Tablas, Capiz-Tablas, Masbate1-Capiz, Iloilo-Bacolod, Negros Occidental-Western Cebu, Zamboanga Del Norte1-Negros Oriental, Surigao Del Norte-Southern Leyte, Western Leyte-Cebu1, Samar-Masbate2, Masbate2-Sorsogon, Boracay-Aklan, Siargao-Surigao Del Sur, Camiguin-Misamis Oriental, Masbate1-Western Leyte, Cebu2-Bohol, Bohol-Cagayan de Oro, Cagayan de Oro-Zamboanga Del Norte1, Zamboanga Del Norte2-Zamboanga Del Norte1, Zamboanga Del Norte2-Zamboanga Del Sur, Camarines Sur-Tablas, Southern Leyte-Cebu1, Masbate1-Masbate2 UG Terrestrial, at Cebu1-Cebu2 UG Terrestrial. Kris Jose
