Planned ALC subsea cable system to further boost Globe’s connectivity capabilities

Globe’s investment into the planned US$300-million Asia Link Cable system (ALC), an international subsea cable system, is expected to boost its connectivity capabilities as it shifts to a digital solutions platform.

Globe, with five of the biggest telcos in the region, recently announced their partnership for the ALC, a submarine cable system in Southeast Asia touted to address growing connectivity needs and boost service resiliency.

Once completed by the third quarter of 2025, ALC will add at least 18Tbps of capacity to Globe’s existing network for its internal and customer requirements through Singapore and Hong Kong, the two main Asian hubs for internet traffic. Connecting to these nodes will boost Globe’s capacity to service the growing connectivity needs of its customers.

Globe Group President and CEO Ernest Cu said investing in the ALC submarine cable system serves both national and regional aspirations for connectivity. As the project is seen to expand capacity for connectivity, it will also help drive Globe’s pivot to a digital solutions platform, with a suite of services addressing Filipinos’ everyday pain points.

“The growth in digitalization that we experienced during the pandemic has been sustained, making it critical for us to boost our capacities locally and around the region. This will support our goal of providing digital enablement to our customers powered by our #1stWorldNetwork,” said Cu.

ALC will also help prepare the Philippines as a new major information and communications technology hub in the region, as the country’s strategic location is already attracting the interest of hyperscalers, such as companies offering big data or cloud computing on a massive scale.

This year, Globe entered into a $350-million joint venture partnership with ST Telemedia Global Data Centres and Ayala Corp. to scale its capacity and capabilities in the data center business. This will address the growing demand for data center services from local enterprises and global hyperscalers.

This trans-Asian subsea cable system, stretching about 6,000 kilometers, will interconnect the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Brunei, providing additional capacity to cater to traffic within Asia and boost resiliency for international traffic.

Globe is partnering with several Asian telcos, including Singtel of Singapore, China Telecom Global of China, Unified National Networks of Brunei Darussalam, and DITO Telecommunity to finance the planning and construction of ALC. Globe is eyeing Luna, La Union as a landing station.

This expansion is in line with Globe’s support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development.

Globe currently operates cable landing stations in Ballesteros in Cagayan, Nasugbu, Batangas, and Brgy. Taloma in Davao City. It also invested in various Asian and Trans-Pacific cables, making Globe’s network resilient and diverse in delivering seamless connectivity and services to our customers.

The company continues to upgrade and improve its network to provide a #1stWorldNetwork to its customers. After spending a record P92.8 billion in capital expenditures last year, it has spent ?74.4 billion in capital expenditure as of the third quarter of this year to bankroll its expansion and modernization program this year.

To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.