Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is on schedule with the opening of its new data center in Cebu as it anticipates high demand for connectivity and content creation amid the accelerated shift to digital that started during the pandemic.
Jesus Romero, chief operations officer at Converge, said the facility was slated to begin operations by the third quarter of 2024.
“We’re very much on track to complete it as per our plan,” he told the Inquirer.
The Cebu facility, which has about 300 racks, is seen to complement its existing Pasig and Clark data centers.
The P1-billion six-story building, which will also house a contact center, is located in Mandaue City.
“We are trying to build a network that is, of course, high availability, non-blocking and low latency. One of the important things is to have data center facilities to house content providers,” Romero explained.
“Further, we expect more customers such as over-the-top (OTT) operators, global carriers and of course, local enterprises,” he added.
OTT refers to online streaming services, such as Netflix, which have been on the rise as people seek entertainment during lockdown.
Fiber coverage
Just recently, Converge announced it had laid down over 523,000 kilometers (km) of fiber cable, comprising 403,730 km of last-mile network and over 119,000 km of fiber backbone.
“Converge has also deployed the latest optical technologies in its network, making it the most technologically advanced,” Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said.
Converge had installed more than 860,000 ports since the start of the year.
As of end-March, Converge’s network had reached over 12.2 million homes and more than 1.8 million residential subscribers.
The internet service provider saw its net income improve by 27 percent to P1.97 billion in the first quarter as the revenues for its residential and enterprise segments grew by 42 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Consolidated revenues were up 40 percent to P7.75 billion during the period in review.