Keep PH connected: PLDT seeks quicker repairs for critical undersea cables

PLDT Group has urged the government to speed up approvals for submarine cable repairs, warning that prolonged internet disruptions could threaten business operations, public services and economic activity.

PLDT First Vice President Arvin Siena said lengthy permit and clearance procedures for specialized repair vessels could delay the restoration of damaged undersea cables, which carry critical telecommunications and data traffic.

“A cable fault is a technical problem. But an extended outage while repair approvals are being secured becomes a national economic concern,” Siena said at the Archipelagic Governance for Subsea Cables Forum.

Submarine cables are vulnerable to earthquakes, ship anchors, fishing activities and other maritime incidents, while repairs often require specialized vessels to secure multiple government clearances before entering Philippine waters.

Siena called for streamlined emergency repair approvals and proposed designating submarine and terrestrial cable routes as critical digital corridors to reduce preventable damage.

“National security and the rapid restoration of connectivity are not competing objectives. We need both security and speed,” he said.

PLDT Global president and CEO Albert Villa-Real also called for closer government-industry coordination, greater cable route diversity and stronger network redundancy to protect the country’s digital infrastructure.

He said reliable undersea connectivity was increasingly critical to banking, government services, cloud computing and data centers.

“The Philippines should not think of itself simply as the end point of international cables. Our ambition should be to become a major digital crossroads of the Asia-Pacific,” Villa-Real said.

He said achieving that goal would require sustained investment in domestic and international connectivity, data centers, reliable power and supportive regulations. —Bilyonaryo.com