Although it’s not the first broadband provider to land in Boracay, fiber Internet firm Converge ICT Solutions is promising to be a game-changer in the terms of online connectivity for both residents and businesses in the tourist island.
“Our technology will speak for itself. Our fiber offering is much better than our competitors here,” declared Converge co-founder and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy during an interview with the media at the formal launch of the company’s broadband services at the Hennan Palm Beach Resort Boracay.
The company actually started laying its fiber infrastructure in the island early last year after completing its P6-billion domestic submarine cable project, which connects the country’s major islands from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao to its national fiber backbone.
Uy said they picked Boracay as the site for its first major launch outside of Luzon because the resort island is a prime tourism hub that can showcase the country’s capability to digitally transform the operations of local firms and serve the demands of tech-reliant travelers.
“We started to venture outside of Luzon two years ago so our entry into the country’s hottest tourist destinations is an achievement for us. We are finally here in Boracay so now businesses of every size can harness the full potential of digitization with our pure fiber connectivity and tailored solutions. Our service does not only mean a better digital experience for their customers but a more seamless way of working and operating,” said Uy.
The launch event saw Converge present its line of products and services from all its segments (residential, SME, and enterprise), followed by an interview session with Uy.
“We are ecstatic to finally be able to celebrate our arrival with the people of Boracay. We worked hard to be able to reach its shores, and we are proud to have made the effort and investments in expanding our fiber footprint here,” said Converge chief operations officer Jesus C. Romero.
The hospitality industry is expected to be the biggest beneficiary of the company’s arrival as the island braces itself for the surge of local and international tourists after the lifting of pandemic restrictions and the abrupt government-imposed seven-month closure to rehabilitate the island.
Meanwhile, local residents will also have access to stable to Converge’s flagship connectivity product, FiberX.
“We see Boracay beyond the lens of being a tourist destination,” Converge marketing head Orange Ramirez added.
“Local residents and small and medium enterprises within the island are just as important to us, so we are also offering the same wide range of award-winning, reasonably priced products to them that our subscribers from other parts of the country already enjoy. At Converge, we always make sure that we are offering the best connectivity solutions to uplift everyone.”
Aside from Boracay, Converge is also present in tourist destinations nationwide such as Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Coron, Baler, Batangas, Puerto Galera and La Union, offering tailor-fit solutions for the hospitality industry.
With over 7.9 million ports as of December 2022, Converge said it now has the broadest fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network in the Philippines. It rolled out 2 million fiber ports in 2022 alone, driven by the robust expansion in Visayas and Mindanao.
In 2023, Converge expects the port deployment strategy to be more of the same — targeting key areas in the two regions.
According to the company’s internal data, nearly one million ports have been deployed in Visayas and Mindanao as of April 2023.
In terms of subscriber count, nearly a fifth or 20% of the total gross adds in the fourth quarter of 2022, came from Visayas and Mindanao.
Aside from Aklan, Converge is present in nine other provinces in Visayas, while in Mindanao, it is present in 11 major provinces.
For 2023, Converge is looking to expand to new cities in Bohol, Zamboanga, Palawan, and more cities in Aklan.
