Aurora economic zone pitched as data center hub
MANILA, Philippines — Aurora is positioning itself as a data center hub, with the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Apeco) partnering with a Japanese-backed telecommunications firm to build the backbone infrastructure needed to attract large-scale digital investments.
Apeco and InfiniVAN on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to develop terrestrial connections within the Casiguran-based ecozone, linking it to existing and planned submarine cable landing stations in Northern Luzon.
This planned backhaul infrastructure is seen as a critical requirement for attracting “hyperscalers” — large technology firms that operate massive data centers supporting artificial intelligence and global computing workloads.
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“This is not just about faster internet,” Apeco president and CEO Gil Taway IV said. “This is about positioning Apeco as a strategic node in the global digital network.”
100 kms of fiber
InfiniVAN group advisor Alejandro Aquino said the project would involve laying roughly 100 kilometers of fiber from Baler to Casiguran, with estimated costs ranging from P4 million to P4.5 million per kilometer, translating to a total investment of about P400 million to P450 million.
The company said it could deploy the required fiber infrastructure within six months once a data center locator is secured, based on its previous rollout of over 100 kilometers of underground fiber along major expressways.
InfiniVAN, a subsidiary of Tokyo-listed IPS Inc., currently operates one of the country’s largest IT upstream networks, with more than 20 terabits per second of capacity across 10 submarine cable systems.
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US firms show interest
Taway said interest from potential data center investors is already emerging, including inquiries from two to three US-based firms.
However, final commitments would depend on the availability of key requirements such as power and connectivity, Aquino said.
Taway said Pacific Impact Power Corp., which has a 25-megawatt service contract with the energy department, has already expressed interest in supplying the energy needed for the project.
At present, connectivity in Apeco is served by providers such as Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and Starlink Internet Services Philippines Inc.
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Beyond boosting connectivity within the ecozone, Taway said the partnership with InfiniVAN would also have a “multiplier effect” on other investment fronts in Apeco.
“As we attract data centers and energy investments, we also open up opportunities for the people of Aurora,” he said. “This means more jobs, more skills development, and more inclusive economic growth.” /dda
