Globe Telecom Inc. has partnered with a global consortium to build the Candle Cable System, a major subsea network aimed at boosting connectivity throughout Southeast and East Asia.
The Ayala-led telecommunications firm is working alongside key industry players, including Meta, SoftBank Corp., IPS Inc., TM, PT XL Axiata Tbk and NEC Corp.
The group is building an 8,000-kilometer, 24-fiber-pair submarine cable system linking Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The system is expected to begin operations in 2028 and will provide up to 570 terabits per second of total capacity, placing it among the highest-capacity systems in the region.
Globe joins the consortium as both an investor and landing party. The cable will be delivered to Globe’s Nasugbu Cable Landing Station in Batangas, complementing the Philippine landing in Baler. Together, the West and East coast landings strengthen national resilience against typhoons, earthquakes and other natural hazards, reducing single points of failure.
“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.”
Dizon added that businesses cannot afford uncertainty. “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,” she said.
Candle uses a 24-fiber-pair configuration to deliver higher capacity and lower latency. This scale supports the rapid growth of cloud computing, artificial intelligence development and enterprise digitalization across the Asia-Pacific. A direct route to Japan and Singapore moves the Philippines closer to key AI and cloud hubs.
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,” Policarpio said. “The real advantage comes from integrating the Candle Cable System directly into our extensive domestic fiber network.”
He noted that by linking this international capacity into nationwide infrastructure, Globe ensures high-speed connectivity for enterprises, small businesses and mobile customers across the archipelago.
The project aligns with the Philippine government’s digitalization and “cloud first” direction, which calls for diversified subsea paths. Globe’s participation covers the planning, financing and construction of the new landing branch in Nasugbu.
