Converge ICT Solutions Inc. continues to make inroads in the Bicol region, with its subscriber base expected to grow by nearly 80% and cover nearly half of the entire population in the region with its pure fiber optic network this year.
“We are the only player in this southern Luzon region with a pure, end-to-end fiber network, and we are aggressively expanding as we continue laying down our domestic fiber backbone interconnecting the Philippine islands and fortifying our entire network,” said Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy.
“The solid increase in our customer base in Region V is hinged on our entry into Masbate, and our deeper presence in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon,” he explained further.
Converge has landed its pure fiber domestic subsea backbone in three points in Bicol – Pasacao in Camarines Sur and in Masbate City, and Milagros in Masbate. These are key landing points in Southern Luzon, which completes the redundancy loop that starts in San Juan, Batangas and passes through Roxas – Mindoro, Boracay, Roxas- Iloilo and ends in Milagros, Masbate.
These loops provide an alternate route for internet traffic to go through in the case of an outage or failure, caused by a natural disaster, on the primary route of the subsea cables. This network safeguard enhances the overall network redundancy of Converge.
This development also marks the entry of Converge into the Masbate province, tapping another unserved market to add to its customer base.
Apart from fortifying the network, the fiber broadband operator has been doubling down on its customer initiatives, partnering with the Department of Trade and Industry in Bicol in its rolling, discount stores, the Diskwento Caravan. Converge has been using this venue to provide free connection to merchants and buyers, while also driving sales.
Moreover, Converge launched the Experience Better Caravan, considered a business center on wheels roaming the provinces of Bicol to drive visibility and customer sales. The Experience Better Caravan is a one-stop shop, offering full customer support, from application to onsite installation.
Converge is also involved in community partnerships, helping with the inoculation drive of local government units amid the COVID-19 pandemic by providing free internet connection in the region’s key vaccination sites.
Earlier this year, Converge lent a hand in the province’s wide-scale relief efforts following Typhoon Rolly and Typhoon Ulysses, giving a much needed connection during the wake of the disasters.
With these efforts, plus beefing up its manpower in Bicol, Converge sees its subscriber base to nearly double while its fiber penetration rate is expected to reach up to 45% by the end of the year.
Converge has opened business centers in the cities of Naga, Daet, Iriga and Legazpi, and is slated to complete its fifth business center in Sorsogon by year-end.
For Bicol subscribers, Converge has put in place a dedicated Customer Support hotline at mobile number 0922-9994636. For Technical concerns: text TECH <space> 13-digit Account Number <space> Message/Concern. For Non-Technical concerns: text INQ <space> 13-digit account number <space> Message/Concern.
