How often you get that question from service providers? Most probably rarely, as today our internet speed is definitely improving but the demand grows even faster.
Converge ICT is an emerging internet service provider for consumers, SMEs and entrepreneurs. While Converge is not a new company, their expansion of coverage and improving service is gaining recognition from consumers that badly need, and are clamoring for, an alternative internet provider.
They provide cable and fiber optic network services in Central Luzon, Baguio and even Batangas and Metro Manila. They stressed out that their network is PURE FIBER in Metro Manila, as compared to Globe and PLDT which still have copper, thus providing confusion of service.
Their latest product FiberX varies in bandwidth at 20Mbps, 50Mbps and 100Mbps ranging from 1,500 pesos to 3,500 pesos. Currently,they serve around 100,00 customers around the Philippines and they plan to expand to more areas (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Pangasinan, Laoag, Launion, Benguet, Neuva Ecija, Cebu and Davao) in the near future.
The company also stressed out that they’re improving 24/7 customer service to serve their customers better. Their rapid increase of 35% profit year on year is a sign that the market is HUNGRY for better internet.
Currently converge serves a lot of business, schools, hotels and even BPOs around the country, and they plan to expand into Visayas and Mindanao by 2018. Their leverage, as compared to competitors, is the pure fiber offering, which doesn’t share resources in installation / customer service to old copper network which is frequently problematic.
Converge is proud to mention that their network is redundant (What?), this means that their cabling system is interconnected from east to west and north to south to avoid any mishap when fiber-cut occurs, similar to this incident.
Laying out fiber underground is the main challenge for this wonderful technology. Getting permits to dig underground takes weeks to even months if the local government unit doesn’t approve or sometimes take it seriously. (So, urge your local government to participate in trenching to have fiber and don’t blame the service providers.)
Fortunately, Converge owns a subsidiary named MetroWorks ICT. It is a company that is dedicated to conduct micro-trenching for rapid underground fiber optic network deployment in urban areas. Using the latest machinery, they added that they can do trenching in a smaller yet faster method as compared to competitors.
Imagine the space and time efficiently used as compared to traditional method of occupying one road lane and might take several days to finish. Converge says that to trench a road with a length of 1 kilometer easily costs around 2.5M – 3M pesos, something which isn’t cheap but it’s definitely needed.
Local government participation is important for Converge, it gives them leverage to show and stress the importance of a connected city. They were able to contribute to the government with major projects like ASEAN Summit, CCTV program of the MMDA and much more.
CEO Dennis Uy said that Converge is very active in providing internet connection but also network related products such as “Smart City” like CCTV, Network amplification and etc.
Converge is now on the roll of having a dedicated submarine cable to significantly increase capacity (Currently they are getting supply from PLDT, Globe and others). This underground cable will “ring” the Philippines to avoid significant downtime of service when underwater cable cuts occurs.
The submarine cable will cost the company easily around $200 Million US Dollars, but will lead to better expansion of service nationwide. Converge also emphasized out that their CAPEX for the year is around Php2.2 Billion pesos.
You can visit the Converge website at www.convergeict.com or call them via 02-667-0848 for sales inquiry.
