KDDI Philippines has confirmed it will deploy telecoms infrastructure for the country's first subway transport network.
The telco, which is a subsidiary of Japan's KDDI, announced its role in the project earlier this week, which will connect the northern city of Valenzuela and the southern city of Parañaque in the metropolitan Manila area of the country.
To support its build-out, KDDI has signed a contract with French transport systems provider Thales.
KDDI will provide telecom infrastructure to the network, which will span approximately 30 km in total, covering fifteen stations from East Valenzuela Station to NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Terminal 3 Station, as well as the depot and the operation control center.
The company will construct the telecommunications system and fare collection system for the subway in collaboration with partner companies, it confirmed.
The subway system is being developed to ease traffic congestion in metropolitan Manila as the city’s population increases.
Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA) is financing the project after it signed a loan agreement for 104.5 billion yen (US$709 million) with the Philippine government in March 2018.
The subway project is expected to be completed in 2029.