Converge ICT Solutions Inc., a Philippine Broadband provider, has pledged to enhance internet connection in Davao City by connecting it to an international cable system. This cable system would be operational in 2024, the company said.
Davao City, also referred to as the City of Davao, is a top-tier city in the Philippines’ Davao Region that is highly urbanized. The city is the largest in the Philippines in terms of total land area with a total size of 2,443.61 km2.
According to the 2020 census, it has 1,776,949 residents, making it the third-most populated city in the Philippines after Quezon City and Manila. The majority of these residents utilize the internet, and demand for internet connectivity is growing.
According to Dennis Anthony Uy, Converge CEO and co-founder, to help Davao’s efforts to transform into a digital city, his company would strengthen and expand its network infrastructure there. Converge would continue to make investments in Davao City, he assured the City Mayo4 Sebastian Duterte, especially as the company expands its global bandwidth.
“We are one with Davao City in its aspiration to become a smart city. As host to our international cable landing station for the Bifrost cable system, the city and whole province will have direct access to world-class connectivity,” Uy said.
Last year Converge and Keppel Midgard Holdings Pte. Ltd., a singapore-based company, signed a contract to join the Bifrost cable network. When Bifrost is finished in 2024, Converge will invest about P5 billion ($85.9 million) to connect to it and this will connect Singapore to North America.
Converge and Keppel Midgard will collaborate to create a branch of the Bifrost that will arrive in Davao City, as per the terms of the deal. Converge has been given the unassailable right of use for Davao, and the company is responsible for acting as the landing party for the segment that will be established in the city.
The extra Davao branch for the Bifrost Cable System, according to Uy, will considerably boost Internet speeds and network diversity for businesses and consumers in the Philippines, resulting in a better online experience.
Converge has access to two international links through the Bifrost cable system: one in North America and one in Singapore. With a planned capacity of 15 terabits per second going both ways, Bifrost will strengthen Converge’s global network for the benefit of its customers.
Bifrost is expected to cover more than 15,000 kilometers when it is finished in 2024. The Java Sea and Celebes Sea are used as the first undersea cable system to connect Singapore to North America via Indonesia.
Governments and companies in Asia and the Pacific, particularly cloud operators, network providers, and telco players, are counting on the cable system to increase connectivity. By adding access to seven international cable systems in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and the US for Converge, Bifrost expands its global network.