Asia Global Crossing, Digital Telecommunications Phils, Inc. (Digitel), and Broadband Infrastructure Group (BI Group) announced the formation of Digitel Crossing, a 40:40:20 joint venture that will bring local, regional, and global connectivity to the Philippines. As part of the agreement, both Digitel and BI Group have committed to purchase capacity from Asia Global Crossing.
Digitel Crossing will establish a terrestrial fiber optic backhaul network in the Philippines leveraging existing Digitel network assets. This terrestrial network will connect with Asia Global Crossing's subsea East Asia Crossing fiber optic system when it lands in the Philippines in early 2002, bringing the Philippines pan-Asian connectivity.
Upon completion, East Asia Crossing will be the first truly pan-Asian system, linking Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and, as regulations permit, China, on one seamless network. As part of the worldwide Global Crossing Network, East Asia Crossing will give the Philippines pan-world connectivity with direct access to more than 200 major cities in 27 countries.
"With Asia Global Crossing's network and the BI Group, Digitel will be part of the pioneering effort in making the Philippines part of the international broadband arena. Digitel Crossing will bring competitive and high-speed capacities to the local telecoms environment, thus enabling the growth of new businesses such as call centers, software design, and other IT services that leverage the Philippines' competitive advantage in the world economy," said Lance Gokongwei, president of Digitel's data subsidiary DigitelOne. "Together with our Luzon-wide broadband backbone, this joint venture will help spur wide-spread Internet and high-speed data usage and familiarity around the country."
About Digital Telecommunications (Digitel):
Established in 1987, Digital Telecommunications (Phils.), Inc., or Digitel, is a provider of wirelines, voice products and services including the provisioning of local call, national and international toll services. In addition to wireline voice services, Digitel's data subsidiary DigitelOne offers corporate customers and consumers access to high-speed data transmission and Internet services.
About BI Group Ltd.:
Broadband Infrastructure Group Ltd., or BI Group, is an international telecommunications-focused investment and holding company, with regional headquarters in Manila, Philippines. Principal focus of BI Group Ltd. and its Philippine subsidiary is on enabling, developing and consolidating bandwidth-intensive businesses throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
About Asia Global Crossing:
Asia Global Crossing (Nasdaq: AGCX), a public company, provides the Asia Pacific region with integrated telecommunications and IP services. Through a combination of undersea cables, terrestrial networks, city fiber rings and complex web hosting data centers, Asia Global Crossing is building a truly pan-Asian network.