Globe joins the Candle Cable System consortium to boost the Philippines' connectivity backbone

Globe has officially joined the Candle Cable System consortium.

Photo from Submarine Networks and Globe logo

Globe to boost the Philippines' connectivity backbone

What is it? It is a massive 8,000 km submarine cable system with 24 fiber pairs that connects Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The capacity? Up to 570 terabits per second, making it one of the highest-capacity systems in Asia.

The consortium members are Meta, SoftBank, IPS Inc., TM, PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk, NEC Corporation, and Globe Telecom from the Philippines.

Globe's is both an investor and a landing party. The cable will land at Nasugbu, Batangas, complementing the existing Baler landing on the east coast.

Benefits of the Candle Submarine Cable System

It has direct routes to Japan and Singapore, improving latency and reliability for cloud, AI, and enterprise workloads.

Once Globe is connected, this international capacity in its domestic fiber network ensures benefits reach businesses and consumers nationwide.

Moreover, it improves the telco's resilience due to its two landing points (east and west), which means fewer single points of failure. It may be effective against typhoons, earthquakes, and other natural hazards, reducing single points of failure and reinforcing business continuity.

Overall, small businesses and consumers benefit from faster, more stable broadband and mobile services.

This also strengthens the Philippines’ position as a digital hub in the Asia Pacific. 

Meanwhile, enterprises gain more reliable connectivity for cloud computing, AI development, analytics, and global operations.

When will it be operational?

According to the press release sent by Globe to team GIZGUIDE, the system is expected to begin operations in 2028.

Candle raises the bar for the country’s digital backbone, said KD Dizon, Vice President and Head of Globe Business. With the Nasugbu and Baler landings, we are giving enterprises a more resilient path for cloud workloads, AI development, and global operations. Businesses cannot afford uncertainty, so our focus is on infrastructure that stays ready even when conditions are tough. This investment reflects our commitment to help Filipino companies compete and grow in a fast-moving digital world.

Raymond Policarpio, Vice President and Head of Strategy Management and Business Investments at Globe, emphasized that global reach must translate into local value.

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. 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.

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