THE Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga) Submarine Terrestrial (Best) Cable System project is expected to traverse Mindanao in 2018.
The project was originally eyed to cross the Mindanao area in the end of 2016.
Mindanao Development Authority Deputy Executive Director Romeo Montenegro said it will traverse in the island-region, particularly in Parang, Maguindanao.
The project, he said, will provide better internet interconnection and increase bandwidth within the Bimp-Eaga sub-economic region.
The project was also among the 27 points emphasized by the ministers during the 20th Ministerial Meeting in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the sub-region’s ministers.
“We note with satisfaction the progress made in the Best Cable project with the signing of the agreement which marks the Contract in Force milestone for Best segment 1, Tungku, Brunei Darussalam to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia,” the joint statement of the ministers during the Ministerial Meeting read.
It added, “We are pleased with the progress on the Memorandum of Understanding for governance, development and cooperation in the Field of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and Multimedia for Bimp-Eaga and look forward to its early conclusion.”
The cable project, which completed the connection last year from Brunei to Sabah, will be connected to Malaysia then to Guam, the same connection that will be tapped for connection to Southern Philippines, particularly in Parang, Maguindanao.
The cable system will link Bimp-Eaga region specifically Brunei, Sabah, Malaysia, Southern Philippines and Kalimantan in Indonesia, with extension to Guam that will connect to the US and the rest of Asean countries.
“It will be connected to Parang because the Philippine private sector proponent of the Best cable project which is EA Trilink has a telecommunication franchise in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm),” ICT Davao Inc. President Samuel Matunog earlier said.
“For the early years of the laying down of the Best cable system, it will only serve Armm, the challenge is how to get the connection out of Armm. It will further boost Mindanao’s position as an investment destination for ICT-BPO companies,” Matunog added.
The Best Cable System, initiated by Best Cable Corp. Pte. Ltd. “is a regional 5,092 kilometer high bandwidth fiber optics cable system that allows telecommunication connectivity in the Bimp-Eaga region with the rest of the Asean and Asian countries, particularly Singapore, Hong Kong and US.”
The additional bandwidth of one terabyte that the project will provide will be exclusive to Mindanao.