Japan’s NTT World Engineering Marine Corp. Deploys New Submarine Cable Repair Vessel In PH

NTT World Engineering Marine Corp. (NTT WE Marine), Japan’s top marine engineering firm responsible for laying and maintaining nearly 39,000 kilometers of submarine cables worldwide, is expanding its presence in the Philippines by deploying a new submarine cable repair vessel.

VEGA II is expected to enhance cable repair capabilities in Philippine waters and is also projected to create job opportunities for Filipino workers. I Photo: Green Yard

The VEGA II, which will sail under the Philippine flag, was officially commissioned on March 27 during a ceremony attended by NTT WE Marine executives, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya, Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy, Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Arnaldo Lim, Maritime Industry Authority officials, and private sector representatives. A tour of the vessel was conducted at the Port of Manila.

This deployment marks NTT WE Marine’s latest investment in Philippine telecommunications infrastructure. The company has maintained submarine cables in the country for the past 25 years and is known for its reliable service and advanced Japanese technology.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in the Philippines,” said Mamoru Watanabe, NTT WE Marine President and CEO. “I’m positive about it. I see the opportunity keeps expanding because nowadays global security is very unstable, and there’s a lot of ongoing unexpected.”

NTT WE Marine is a subsidiary of Japan’s NTT Group and is currently the maintenance provider for the $150-million Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network project, commissioned by Globe Telecom Inc., Eastern Communications, and the Japan-affiliated telco InfiniVAN Inc.

The company emphasized that with the Philippines’ rapid economic development, maintaining a stable and secure telecommunications infrastructure has become critical.

As an archipelagic country, submarine cable systems are increasingly seen as vital to national progress.

“With the introduction of this newly built vessel, we are confident that the maintenance system for submarine telecommunications cables in the Philippines will be further strengthened, thereby enhancing the stability of the country’s communications infrastructure,” NTT WE Marine stated.

VEGA II is expected to enhance cable repair capabilities in Philippine waters and is also projected to create job opportunities for Filipino workers.

Ambassador Endo highlighted that investing in telecommunications infrastructure builds not only connectivity but also trust and reliability in an increasingly interconnected world. In 2024, NTT WE Marine signed a three-year contract with PLDT Inc. to maintain several submarine cable systems in the Philippines.