CABLE-LAYING. This photo shows the landing of the company’s fiber cables of Converge ICT Solutions in Cebu’s northernmost town of San Remigio in April 2021. The publicly listed telecommunication firm said on Thursday (Aug. 12, 2021) it sees increasing demand for fiber connection among barangays and small and medium enterprise clients in Cebu and other areas in Visayas and Mindanao. (Photo courtesy of Converge)
CEBU CITY – Converge ICT Solutions Inc. announced on Thursday it has completed the initial phases of its domestic subsea cable network to the Visayas and Mindanao regions, bringing improved internet connectivity down to the barangay level.
Seeing signs of recovery of the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the second quarter of the year, Converge’s SME customer base grew significantly in the second quarter of the year, arising from innovative product launches and improved sales and marketing initiatives.
“This was a pleasant surprise to us as we are really just focused on delivering our commitment to reach the underserved and unserved areas in the country with world-class pure fiber broadband connectivity,” Converge chief executive officer Dennis Anthony Uy reported in a virtual media briefing on Thursday.
Uy said over 11,800 kilometers of fiber optic cable were added in April to June period, expanding the firm’s backbone and distribution network to almost 76,500 kilometers from about 64,600 kilometers laid down last quarter.
By July 2021, Converge’s fiber backbone had reached 80,500 kilometers, he said.
With the network expansion, the telecommunications firm was able to extend its coverage to an additional 53 cities and municipalities during the second quarter of 2021, extending its services this quarter to new provinces, including Ilocos Norte, Cebu, and Davao, among others.
The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office have recognized Cebu and Davao as centers of excellence for the development of the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry.
As of June 30, 2021, the company’s network has now reached over 400 cities and municipalities nationwide.
Uy said the telecommunication company has already signed on thousands of subscribers and established partnerships with SME clients here.
Converge is also set to start the construction of a data center in Cebu as it prepares to serve the surge in the data requirements in Visayas and Mindanao amid its aggressive expansion in central and southern Philippines.
The rise of a new state-of-the-art data center in Cebu supports the recently unveiled strategic framework of the Department of Information and Communications Technology for the country’s full and inclusive participation in the global digital economy which it called CHIP -Connect, Harness, Innovate and Protect– that would also serve as the driver of the Philippines’ digital transformation. (PNA)
