Globe joins regional consortium to expand digital backbone

GLOBE TELECOM, INC. has joined the Candle Cable System consortium to strengthen the Philippines’ digital backbone by connecting the country to submarine cable links across Asia.

“Candle raises the bar for the country’s digital backbone… With the Nasugbu and Baler landings, we are giving enterprises a more resilient path for cloud workloads, AI (artificial intelligence) development, and global operations,” Globe Vice-President and Head of Globe Business Stella Christine D. Dizon said in a media release on Sunday.

Candle Cable is an 8,000-kilometer system linking Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. It has 24 fiber pairs and a total capacity of 570 terabits per second (Tbps).

The consortium is a regional collaboration among Meta, Japan’s SoftBank Corp., IPS, Inc., NEC Corp., Telekom Malaysia Bhd. (TM), and Indonesia’s PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk.

Globe is joining the consortium as both an investor and a landing party, with the cable planned to land at its Nasugbu station in Batangas, complementing the Philippine landing in Baler.

The system is expected to begin operations by 2028, Globe said, adding that it is among the highest-capacity cable systems in the region.

“Together, the West and East coast landings strengthen national resilience against typhoons, earthquakes, and other natural hazards, reducing single points of failure and reinforcing business continuity,” Globe said.

Candle’s 24-fiber-pair configuration offers higher capacity and lower latency, supporting the rapid expansion of cloud computing, AI development, and enterprise digitalization.

“International capacity is only one part of the equation. The real advantage comes from integrating the Candle Cable System directly into our extensive domestic fiber network,” Globe Vice-President and Head of Strategy and Business Investments Raymond L. Policarpio said.

A direct route to Japan and Singapore also positions the Philippines closer to key AI and cloud hubs.

“By linking this international capacity into our nationwide infrastructure, we ensure that high-speed and low-latency connectivity supports enterprises, small businesses, and mobile and broadband customers across the archipelago,” he said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose