Leading fiber broadband operator Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has completed a critical infrastructure in its domestic fiber backbone in Mindanao, improving fiber internet service availability for subscribers in southern Philippines.

This was announced at the recently held Purple Nation: The Pure Fiber Invasion event in Davao, which officially introduced the fiber broadband service of Converge to stakeholders in Mindanao.

The critical infrastructure refers to the ‘Mindanao redundancy loop’ that runs through the region, further strengthening the 90,000-kilometer pure fiber backbone of Converge in the country. The newly-completed segment connects the cable landing point in Cagayan de Oro with Buenavista, forming a network ring that passes through key areas in Mindanao such as Tagum, Davao, and Valencia.

Apart from the hardening of the fiber network, Converge is also investing to build a data center in Davao to enable local caching of internet content, further increasing network reliability and speed.

“As we continue to pursue our Go National strategy through 2022, we want to make sure that we have high service availability for our subscribers in Visayas and Mindanao. With the redundancy ring completed, we’re significantly reducing the chances of service outages since we now have an alternative network route in place. The whole Philippine digital highway is now strongly protected against cable breaks,” said Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy.

“With this, we’re adding yet another layer of protection to our network which is important as we accommodate the growing demand in Visayas and Mindanao,” Uy added.

The redundancy loop is a network structure that fortifies the primary route of the network by adding a secondary path for data to pass through in case of a failure in the main route. This makes sure there’s no service downtime and subscribers’ connection remains unhampered.

“Our chamber is the largest foreign chamber in Mindanao and in the Visayas, and foremost in their minds is the need to install quality telecommunications and connectivity. Without that, it’ll be difficult to manage our own businesses. With that, I believe that Converge offers world-class ICT services and ensures the best experience possible,” said Antonio Peralta, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines – Southern Mindanao Business Council.

“During this pandemic, we realize that telecommunication companies are important in every transaction and task we have. Telecommunications is critical to our recovery,” he said.

Since the start of its fiber broadband service in Mindanao just this April, Converge has laid down more than 100,000 lines in Davao and Cagayan de Oro, gaining traction in its subscriber base.

“In 2022, we will be expanding in key areas in Mindanao such as Butuan, Saranggani, Davao Oriental, and Bukidnon in a span of a few months. With that, we’re sure to drive up our subscriber base here in Mindanao,” noted Mr. Ariel Concejero, Converge Head of Sales for Consumer, SME and Emerging Channels.

“As we continue to promote Davao city as a premier investment destination, the question of high-speed connectivity continues to surface especially from those in the BPO, telecommunications and technology sectors. High-speed connectivity is an important criterion for the location to be considered, a prime choice in business and investment,” affirmed Mr. Christian Cambaya, OIC of the Davao Investment Promotion Center.

Converge made its official entry into Mindanao last April, with its subsea cables landing in Cagayan de Oro. Since April, it has been gradually strengthening and expanding the fiber backbone throughout the region.

As of the third quarter of the year, the nationwide fiber backbone of Converge spans 90,000 kilometers with the 1,800-kilometer subsea segment interconnecting the major islands of the Philippines. The company’s total residential subscriber base reached nearly 1.6 million as of end-September, with almost 5.5 million fiber ports installed across the country.

“If you see the cable map, we have so much redundancy. Mindanao is currently served by two backbone legs, one from Cagayan De Oro landing station, the other in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. The third landing station will be here in Davao, where we will build our data center,” said Miles Tonn Chua, President and COO of Metroworks ICT Construction Inc., the infrastructure arm of Converge.

Converge aims to cover 55% of total Philippine households with world-class fiber connectivity by 2023 as part of its mission to reach the unserved and underserved areas in the country.