PH-based broadband’s first orders of business

INTERVIEW PH-based broadband’s first orders of business

More than providing internet service, Converge ICT also aims to venture into video production.

The Philippines’ internet speed, although improving, still lags behind its neighbouring markets. In a July 2022 survey by Ookla, a broadband network intelligence company, the country placed 14th for fixed broadband median amongst 50 Asian markets and 45th out of 182 countries. To enhance the Philippines’ internet market, one of the local fixed broadband service providers aimed to advance digitalisation in the country for faster internet access.

Jesus Romero, COO of Converge ICT Solutions, said they seek to make government and businesses compete on a global scale. This led Converge to launch its Yan Ang Internet Programme, which means the “Kind of internet that people deserve.” This increased the cost of its internet plan, FiberXPlans, by merely PHP100 (around US$2), but the effect on its consumers is a doubled internet bandwidth.

“We were not selective. We informed all our customers [of this new programme], knowing that some of them may even potentially downgrade. To us, it’s okay, because the whole message is about providing the best value,” Romero further explained.

This was rolled out at the year-end of 2021 as it marked more than a million subscribers.

“On a short-term basis, we also offered some customers a discount on the first bill, meaning, if you avail of the plan, we will waive your first month’s bill,” Romero said.

Its entry-level plan was also upgraded by about 50% internet speed from 35 megabits (Mbps) to 50 Mbps, which means customers can do multiple online tasks.

“It allows them to do multiple things at the same time doing zoom meetings for business, school, online schooling for children, and streaming video services for entertainment,” said Romero.

Its most affordable and speedy internet plan is the higherend plan, which is around 800 Mbps per second.

“The higher end plan, we not only reduced the rate, but we almost tripled the speed. For about US$70, that’s 800 Mbps per second. That is the fastest and most affordable high-speed package in the country today,” said Romero.

Experience centres for customers

Converge, which runs a pure end-to-end fibre internet network, won the Marketing and Brand Initiative of the Year Award for the Philippines in the Asian Telecom Awards 2022.

It seeks to deploy “world-class” internet service to underserved Filipino customers as 68% of the Philippine population are using the internet, according to a 2022 report of marketing research firms, Hootsuite and We Are Social. The report also found that Filipinos spend an average of 10 hours and 27 minutes on the internet on any device.

To connect more with customers, Romero said they revamped their digital platforms for billing and support systems, with the first installations being the GoFiber website and mobile app. “When you open the app, you can see the situation with your line: the signal level is good, the modem temperature okay, or too many users connected to it. We’re the first one with that, and we improved it,” said Romero.

Aside from advancing digital plans on the internet, Converge improved its services with physical stores as some Filipinos still prefer face-to-face interactions to address their concerns.

“They want to go to a business centre, they want to interact person to person and pay and apply. We’re also expanding our physical presence,” said the Converge COO.

“We’re launching the next generation of business centres. They are not going to be your traditional brick-and-mortar. We’re calling them experience centres,” Romero also said.

Beyond internet services

They are also seeking to offer services beyond reliable and speedy internet by providing television programming and other video content services through an internet protocol suite, which is more modern than cable or broadcast which is more modern than cable or broadcast television.

“Now that we have about 1.7 million total broadband customers, that’s a lot of eyeballs so we are also thinking about what are the other important services that they need,” Romero said.

For more on this interview, go to https:// asianbusinessreview.com/

Converge seeks to deploy “world-class” internet service to underserved Filipinos (Jesus Romero, COO, Converge. Photo from https://www.convergeict.com/)

We’re launching the next generation of business centres. We’re calling them experience centres

CONVERGE: GOING THE DISTANCE TO FIBER-POWER THE FILIPINO NATION

In the American folktale, “The Little Engine that Could”, a train gets stuck at the bottom of a high mountain, unable to climb up the steep incline. The train asks for help from large locomotives - they refuse, citing one reason or another. A smaller engine comes along, and agrees to help. The little engine chugs up the mountain, repeating the phrase “ I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!” as it heaves the train.

It’s a children’s story on hard work and captures what Converge has been doing the past 15 years. Carrying the load - giving quality connection to millions of Filipinos - is a heavy task indeed, but Converge said “Yes, we can!”. Just how did this little engine become the roaring locomotive it is today?

Laying Down the Tracks

In 2019, Converge gathered speed to pull the train forward. It began building the fi ber network that now runs through the major islands of the Philippines. From Central Luzon, where it started, it expanded to the shores of Visayas and Mindanao in 2021.

“Failure was not an option for us. We needed to do the hard work and “Failure was not an option for us. We needed to do the hard work and persevere to provide world-class connectivity to persevere to provide world-class connectivity to the unserved and underserved communities,” the unserved and underserved communities,”

said Dennis Anthony H. Uy, CEO and Co-Founder said Dennis Anthony H. Uy, CEO and Co-Founder of Converge.

Going the Distance Going the Distance

Converge also heavily invested in a robust international network. Converge also heavily invested in a robust international network. Converge invested in the Bifrost Cable System to accommodate Converge invested in the Bifrost Cable System to accommodate transatlantic demand for data, and recently in the Southeast Asia Hainan - transatlantic demand for data, and recently in the Southeast Asia Hainan - Hong Kong Express Cable (SEA-H2X), to meet the demand for data within Hong Kong Express Cable (SEA-H2X), to meet the demand for data within Asia.

With a resilient domestic network and a well-capacitated international With a resilient domestic network and a well-capacitated international one, Converge is equipped to serve the huge connectivity needs of one, Converge is equipped to serve the huge connectivity needs of Filipinos that for so long, has been unmet. Filipinos that for so long, has been unmet.

Asia.

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