Converge challenges PLDT in gigabit market

MANILA, Philippines — Broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is bringing the fight to industry leader PLDT Inc. by penetrating the gigabit market to expand its subscriber base.

Converge yesterday announced it is making Boost Mode a permanent product on its broadband menu, adding another high-speed offering to its growing portfolio.

Boost Mode provides subscribers with WiFi 6 capabilities, enabling them to access the internet at quicker speeds. Converge is integrating it in its flagship FiberX bundle for P1,699.

Moreover, Converge is offering a new FiberX Plan 3500, bringing in the most affordable gigabit package in the Philippines. The product extends up to 1 Gbps of download speed for only P3,500 a month, or half the current industry pricing of P7,499.

With this, Converge becomes the second broadband player next to PLDT to enter the high-value market for gigabit internet. In February, PLDT introduced broadband products that offer gigabit levels of speed, confident that data consumption in the Philippines would only grow over time.

PLDT segregated its gigabit bundles into different speeds, with the highest peaking at 10 Gbps, the first of its kind in the country.

For context, 10 Gbps converts to a total of 10,000 Mbps and for subscribers, this means they can download a 20-GB file in just seconds.

However, PLDT entered the gigabit market with a select segment of consumers in mind, whereas Converge wants its own version brought to the mass market.

To do this, Converge is launching a value option called Time of Day 3000 Plan, which costs just P3,000 per month. The plan delivers a download speed of as much as one Gbps on chosen hours of the day when the subscriber needs it most, whether for gaming, studying or working.

Converge chief commercial officer Benjamin Azada said the provider is developing different sets of broadband plans to bridge the digital gap in the Philippines. He believes that it would only be a matter of time when internet service would be seen as a basic need.

Prior to this, Converge expanded into the low-cost market to cater to households that are tight on budget, offering them prepaid internet for as low as P700 for 30 days.

Converge’s portfolio expansion is paying off financially, with revenue expected to grow between 12 and 14 percent this year.