CEBU CITY, Philippines – Internet service provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. poured ‘billions’ for its expansion in the Visayas-Mindanao (VisMin) area.
Converge opened its VisMin regional headquarters in Oakridge I.T. Center 2, A.S. Fortuna Street, Mandaue City during a ceremonial launch on Monday, June 7, 2021, which also marked the firm’s milestone of reaching the Visayas market.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. during the Launching today held at Oakridge IT Center 2, Oakridge Business Park. (L-R) CCCI President Mr. Felix Taguiam; MCCI President Mr. Steven Yu, Converge ICT Co-Founder/President, Ms. Grace Y. Uy; Converge ICT Founder/CEO Mr. Dennis Anthony H. Uy, Mr. Justin Uy, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and Converge ICT COO Mr. Jesus C. Romero | Contributed Photo
“This is a multi-billion project. We have been planning this since 2016,” said Dennis Anthony Uy, Converge chief executive officer and founder.
The event was attended by Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes, chamber presidents Steven Yu (Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and Felix Taguiam (Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry), and key executives from Converge Grace Uy (President and Co-Founder), and Jesus Romero (COO).
Dennis Anthony Uy, Converge chief executive officer and founder | Mark Kavin Salomon
Uy said they spent P6 billion alone for establishing domestic submarine cables to include the Visayas area in their service coverage.
He also said that they will also put up a data center in Mandaue City, with an initial 300 racks to cater to the demand they anticipate within VisMin as they are set to link the neighboring islands of Negros, Leyte, Bohol, and Panay to their national backbone.
The fiber technology company also announced they are expected to open business centers in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Lapu-Lapu, and Cordova town in the next few weeks.
The ceremonial launching of Converge’s expansion here in Cebu held on June 7, 2021, at the Oakridge IT Center 2 in Mandaue City CDN Digital photo | Morexette Marie Erram
VisMin Expansion
According to Romero, Converge has four landing points in Cebu.
Last April, their fiber optic cables have landed in Cebu, through the northwestern town of San Remigio, said Romero.
“We have Toledo to Negros, in San Carlos City, Naga City to Tagbilaran, and then we have San Remigio to Masbate, and then the other side, Bogo City to (Leyte),” he said.
An audio-visual presentation aired during Monday’s event showed that Converge has already served over 400,000 households in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue since their soft-launching last November.
Romero also said they are on track in deploying 250,000 fiber ports in the Visayas area in 2021.
“Soon, areas in Visayas deprived for the longest time of internet, can have access to fast and fiber-powered connection. Hopefully, by the end of the year, our take-up will be stronger. We already have 150,000 ports deployed, and we are on track to achieve 250,000,” explained Romero.
“The overarching goal here is for Cebu and Visayas, and Mindanao to have the same quality of service as first world countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and (South) Korea,” added Romero.
/bmjo
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