THE 20th Davao City Council approved during its regular session on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 the construction and installation of submarine cable in Barangay Bago Aplaya to enhance the city's internet connectivity.
A letter from David Lim, director of operations at Optic Marine Installation Services Corp, was submitted to the City Council, endorsing the Bifrost Cable System. The advanced fiber-optic submarine cable system is designed to establish high-capacity connections between the Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Indonesia, and the western coast of North America.
The proposal was initially presented to the Committee on Transportation and Communications during the council's regular session on August 2.
The submarine fiber optic cable (SFOC) will be positioned on the ocean floor at one to three meters. Extending over 200 kilometers, the SFOC will connect with marine and land cables at the Beach Manhole (BMHI), a chamber measuring approximately 3,400mm long, 2,400mm wide, and 2,400mm deep.
On July 30, 2023, the project received an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).
An assessment of the area revealed that the cable route would not affect any corals, and there is a lack of mangroves and seagrass communities in the intertidal zone, which is within the impact area of the cable landing point.
Councilor Bernie Al-ag highlighted in the session that this marks the second instance of fiber optics implementation in the city, with the first being in Talomo. He expressed confidence that this initiative will significantly enhance internet services in Davao.
He noted that many Dabawenyos have expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of internet connectivity in the city. This project presents an opportunity to address these concerns and aligns with Mayor Sebastian Duterte's vision for digital transformation in the city. RGP