The Philippines' leading integrated telco PLDT Inc. (PLDT) is set to boost the country’s international cable capacity with the Asia Direct Cable (ADC) System, marking its operational and commercial readiness.

This milestone marks the completion of the ADC, a 9,988-kilometer fiber optic submarine cable system that links the Philippines to Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and China. It solidifies the Philippines' position as a strategic destination for carriers and content providers seeking to expand in the Asia-Pacific region. By connecting to key regional hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, the ADC supports industries and businesses in the Philippines that require seamless links to their international locations.

The ADC, a low latency subsea cable utilizing the latest technology, offers the shortest access to the PLDT Group's prime hyperscale data center, VITRO Sta Rosa. The ADC also complements trans-Pacific cables like the Jupiter Cable System linking the Philippines to Japan and the United States and is the newest option for Intra-Asia cable diversity. This strengthens PLDT’s leadership in offering the most diversified connectivity among Philippine carriers, ensuring resilient and reliable routes to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan.

"As we fortify our investments in our international submarine cable systems like the ADC, we empower businesses, enhance content access for consumers, drive economic growth, support the Government’s digitalization efforts, and position the country as a strategic Hyperscale Hub in Asia-Pacific," said Jojo Gendrano, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Business Group at PLDT and Smart. “Critical network infrastructure, including the ADC and our other international submarine cable systems, form a crucial part of the country’s digital infrastructure, and are key to our efforts to position the Philippines as a prime investment destination for hyperscalers and multinational corporations,” Gendrano added.

“The PLDT Group’s network investments demonstrate our commitment to support the connectivity needs of homes across the country, increasingly digital lifestyles of Filipinos, and the digital transformation requirements of businesses and Government on the whole,” said Butch Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer at PLDT.

The ADC is ready-for-service (RFS) by the first quarter of 2025 and is slated to increase PLDT’s International Capacity by more than 100Tbps.

PLDT continues to invest in its fixed and wireless networks, data centers, and submarine cables to drive revenue growth and support the ongoing rise in network traffic. These investments are also in keeping with the Group's commitment to close the digital divide and bring the benefits of the internet closer to more Filipinos across the country, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly on SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.