CONVERGE ICT SOLUTIONS INC./YOUTUBE

CONVERGE ICT Solutions, Inc. on Thursday said its fiber internet service now covers the whole nation, with 5.5 million ports deployed.

The company has opened 23 business centers nationwide as of end-November.

“We’ve achieved a record rollout of 654,188 ports in the third quarter of 2021 alone, a solid testament to the robust demand we continue to see throughout the country,” Converge Chief Executive Officer Dennis Anthony H. Uy said in an e-mailed statement.

By 2023, the company hopes to cover 55% of Philippine households with its fiber internet service.

It targets to reach more unserved and underserved areas of the country.

The company said it recently opened new business centers in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Candon, Ilocos Sur; La Trinidad, Benguet; Tuguegarao, Cagayan; and Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya in Northern Luzon.

It also opened branches in Gapan, Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon; Valenzuela and San Juan City in Metro Manila; Batangas City and Lemery, Batangas; and Imus and Dasmarinas, Cavite in Southern Luzon; Sorsogon in the Bicol Re-gion; Iloilo City in the Visayas; and Cagayan de Oro and Davao City in Mindanao.

The company said it now serves 440 municipalities and cities. It has around 1.6 million residential subscribers as of September.

“Converge just this November completed its domestic subsea cable project connecting all the major islands of the Philippines to its national fiber backbone,” it noted.

The company’s attributable net income for the January-to-September period went up by 137% to P5.20 billion from P2.19 billion in the same period in 2020.

Revenues for the period increased by 76% to P18.83 billion from P10.68 billion last year.

Mr. Uy has said that Converge is looking at potential new partnerships to serve its clients in areas other than broadband internet, such as fintech, e-games, and content, among others.

Converge ICT shares closed 0.65% lower at P30.80 apiece on Thursday. — Arjay L. Balinbin