The DICT said the proposed network would complement the government’s National Fiber Backbone project, one of the agency’s flagship connectivity initiatives. The National Fiber Backbone program aims to improve internet speeds through high-speed fiber-optic infrastructure. According to the DICT, the proposed domestic undersea fiber network would also connect to international submarine cable systems. PLDT has invested in the Apricot cable system, a 12,000-kilometer undersea fiber-optic network providing a direct connection between Singapore and Japan. Meanwhile, Converge participates in the Bifrost and Southeast Asia Hainan-Hong Kong Express Cable System (SEA-H2X) international cable systems.