Globe Telecom Inc.'s strategic investment in the Candle Cable System is poised to significantly enhance the Philippines' digital infrastructure, positioning the country as a key regional data hub, according to a recent analysis by BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit.
In a report released on Wednesday, BMI described Globe's participation in the 8,000-kilometer subsea cable project as a "strategic move" that will provide higher-capacity, low-latency connections across the Asia-Pacific region. The cable system will link the Philippines to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
"The Candle submarine cable project looks to bolster infrastructure expansion and establish secure, redundant routes to support the Philippines' digital backbone, addressing the country's escalating demand for international data traffic fueled by next-generation technologies such as AI, cloud computing and 5G," BMI stated in its report.
Globe is not merely an investor in the consortium but also serves as a landing party, with the cable set to connect to its Nasugbu landing station in Batangas. The system is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.
This development comes at a critical time as global data traffic surges, driven by artificial intelligence workloads, cloud adoption, and enterprise digitalization. BMI noted that such infrastructure investments are becoming increasingly essential, even as geopolitical risks could potentially increase project costs.
The Candle project will create dual entry points for the Philippines, complementing Globe's existing landing station in Baler, Aurora. This west-east configuration is designed to improve network resilience and reliability.
Engineered with 24 fiber pairs, the cable system can deliver up to 570 terabits per second of total capacity, placing it among the highest-capacity systems in the region.
"Candle raises the bar for the country's digital backbone," said KD Dizon, vice president and head at Globe Business. "With the Nasugbu and Baler landings, we are giving enterprises a more resilient path for cloud workloads, AI development and global operations."
BMI's analysis highlights that this infrastructure expansion addresses the Philippines' current lag in digital readiness, where the country scores 59 in the 2026 index, trailing behind regional peers. The partnership emerges as demand for cloud and data services continues to grow throughout the archipelago nation.