THE state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority on Tuesday said it will partner with Japanese-Filipino telecoms firm InfiniVAN to improve the Poro Point Landing Station‘s international submarine cable systems.
InfiniVAN operates a nationwide fiber-optic network.
The project will also expand internet capacity, improve network reliability, and help ease connectivity costs in the country to keep pace with its Asean neighbors and the broader global digital economy, BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang said.
The agreement covers the Poro Point Cable Landing Station and related facilities in the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI).
The LBI — a collaboration between the Department of Information and Communications Technology, BCDA, and Meta — is a 240-kilometer fiber corridor connecting Baler, Aurora, in the east and San Fernando, La Union, in the west.
The BCDA built the infrastructure, including two cable landing stations, four repeater stations, and terrestrial facilities. DICT oversees operations. The corridor is designed to support two additional submarine cable operators.
Under the agreement, the Poro Point facility will operate as an open cable landing station capable of hosting multiple submarine cable systems while allowing domestic network providers to co-locate their equipment.
An open cable landing station is a facility where undersea (submarine) fiber-optic cables carrying internet traffic come ashore and connect with terrestrial telecommunication networks.
It provides a standardized neutral point of interconnection where multiple service providers can connect their networks to submarine cables. This arrangement fosters competition among providers, encourages innovation, and expands connectivity options for users.
Designed to support two additional submarine cable operators, the model promotes greater competition in international connectivity and encourages new investments in submarine cable infrastructure.
“This East–West connectivity will play a vital role in ensuring the resiliency and security of the nation’s communications infrastructure,” said InfiniVAN chairman Koji Miyashita.
Also part of the agreement is InfiniVAN operating the Poro Point Cable Landing Station and the upcoming Baler Cable Landing Station with an open cable landing station model, enabling any submarine cable system to land at these facilities and allowing multiple backhaul providers to operate within them.
The project is part of InfiniVAN’s Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) and its ongoing construction of the Baler Cable Landing Station, which will serve the recently announced Candle submarine cable system.
The Candle system is an 8,000-km submarine cable system connecting Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It consists of 24 fiber pairs, with a total system capacity of 570 terabits and expected to operate in 2028.
The Candle consortium comprises Meta, Softbank, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), IPS Inc. and PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk (formerly XL Axiata). NEC Corp. has been contracted as the system supplier.
The collaboration between BCDA and InfiniVAN supports the digitalization agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which prioritizes stronger digital infrastructure, expanded connectivity, and improved access to online services to boost economic growth, innovation, and global competitiveness.