MANILA, Philippines — Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has widened its fiber footprint to close to 600,000 kilometers, hoping to close the year strong by expanding its reach in underserved areas.
Converge said that its fiber footprint as of September is nearing the 600,000 kilometer mark, made up of subsea, aerial and terrestrial cables in multiple locations nationwide.
On top of this, Converge announced that it has installed more than 1.7 million fiber ports across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, as the firm improved its coverage in existing sites and expanded to new cities and municipalities.
Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said the company hopes to sustain its network expansion for the remainder of the year. For the fourth quarter, Converge plans to build on its fiber footprint especially in underserved areas.
“We’re glad that we are on track to achieve our targets for 2022. For the final quarter of the year, we are looking forward to more promising developments in terms of our fiber rollout,” Uy said.
“Fulfilling our commitment to reach the unserved and underserved areas, we are continuously expanding and strengthening our fiber network to serve the demand for reliable and accessible Internet,” he added.
In July, Uy said Converge set up around 600,000 fiber ports in Visayas and Mindanao as part of its strategy to enhance its fiber Internet outside of Metro Manila.
Uy then vowed that Visayas and Mindanao would be a focus area for Converge’s expansion given that the two regions combined make up about 20 percent of its subscriber base.
On a larger scale, Converge has passed through 13.49 million homes—or 52.1 percent of total households—as of June after installing nearly 650,000 fiber ports in the second quarter alone. It seeks to cover at least 55 percent of Philippine households by 2023.
Converge seeks to widen its fiber base to service the sustained demand for high-speed Internet in spite of the shift from blended learning to onsite schooling. The firm even hopes to raise the number of its residential subscribers by two million for 2022.