PHOTO: Converge
Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is tapping the expertise of global optical networking solutions provider Infinera in constructing its 15,000-kilometer (km) Bifrost Cable System.
In a statement on Wednesday, the internet service provider said that Infinera would supply the submarine line terminal equipment, which facilitates the data transmission, for the fiber cable project.
“We are excited to leverage the latest generation of Infinera’s technology for our terrestrial and subsea cable assets. Infinera provides the most advanced subsea networking solution with industry-leading capabilities including advanced power management capabilities,” Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said.
Bifrost Cable System, which has the capacity of up to 15 terabits per second (Tbps), will connect the Philippines to Singapore, Indonesia, Guam, and the west coast of North America. It is targeted to be finished next year.
A fiber cable network serves as the digital highway for the transmission of data, whose consumption has been on the rise due to digitalization.
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In addition, the company is on track to activate the South-East Asia Hainan-Hong Kong Express (SEA-H2X) fiber cable system next year.
The 5,000-km submarine cable project, which has a design capacity of 160 Tbps, traverses six markets including Hong Kong, China, Thailand, East Malaysia, and Singapore.
For this year, Converge has earmarked P12 billion to P14 billion for subsea cable projects and other spending.
In line with these investments, Converge is also ramping up its capacity to handle servers and information technology network by constructing data centers.
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Recently, the internet service provider started building a 10-megawatt (MW) data center in Pampanga and another 3-MW hub in Metro Manila. These facilities are expected to be completed by 2025.
Converge, which has about 10 MW in existing data center capacity, is working with American tech giant Super Micro Computer Inc. for the construction of such facilities.
Moving forward, the company intends to spend P6 billion to P7 billion annually to boost its data center capacity.