Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT trumped its broadband rivals Globe and PLDT as it registered net additional residential subscribers of 284,000 for its fiber plans last year, the biggest fiber net adds in the industry during the period.
This is 32-percent higher compared to its year-ago level. In terms of consolidated net adds, Converge was the only major operator which registered positive growth at 13.4% year-on-year.
For the fourth quarter alone, both prepaid fiber Internet S2S and the low-cost postpaid plan BIDA Fiber registered record net subscriber additions, resulting in a total subscriber base of nearly 175,000 as of end-2023. This exceeds the company’s target of 120,000 subscribers for these two new products.
The flagship FiberX brand sustained its strong growth with total subscribers now reaching 1.8 million. As a token of appreciation to Converge customers, a promotional speed boost to 300Mbps for the base plan of P1,500 was given to FiberX subscribers recently.
With this strong performance, Converge acquired nearly 80,000 net additional subscribers in Q4 2023, representing 31.8 percent of its total full-year net adds.
Overall, it concluded 2023 on a steady growth trajectory as its consolidated revenues hit P35.4 billion, up by five percent year-on-year, while net income rose by 22 percent to reach P9 billion on the back of strong demand for its fiber Internet services.
“In 2023, we have consistently upheld momentum for our newly launched products Surf2Sawa (S2S) and BIDA Fiber, supported by the consistent growth in our flagship brand FiberX, especially in the fourth quarter,” said Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy.
By end-December 2023, Converge had captured more than 2.1 million subscribers, consisting of more than two million postpaid and over 114,000 prepaid subscribers.
Furthermore, the fiber broadband provider’s enterprise business also boasted a robust year, growing from P4.3 billion to P5.1 billion, up by 20 percent year-on-year.
All its enterprise segments saw double-digit growth, led by the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment with 34.9 percent.
Similarly, enterprises and corporate saw a 13 percent growth, while the Wholesale segment increased by 14 percent.
In terms of profit margins, Converge registered an EBITDA (earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of P21.5 billion, up 11.2 percent YoY, while its consolidated EBITDA margin ended at 61 percent. With prudent cost management, the company was able to meet its EBITDA targets for 2023.
At 16.3 percent, the company’s return on invested capital (ROIC) remains the highest in the industry and is expected to continuously improve as it builds on its flanker brands.
