Converge, DITO fuse cable grids
Resource-sharing agreement will create savings through improved operational efficiencies and reduced capital expenditure requirements
Photograph by Maria Romero for the daily tribune Signing of the groundbreaking Master Facilities Provisioning Agreement Contract on Thursday, 11 January was led by (from left) Converge chief operations officer Jesus Romero, Converge chief executive officer Dennis Anthony Uy, DITO president and chief executive officer Ernesto Alberto, and DITO chief technology officer MGen. Rodolfo Santiago.
Leveraging on their existing facilities, two leaders in the telecommunications industry — Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and DITO Telecommunity Corp. — have agreed to share select terrestrial and submarine fiber optic cable assets.
The move is expected to strengthen both companies strength in facing the two dominant telcos, Smart Communications and Globe Telecom.
The landmark Master Facilities Provisioning Agreement, or MFPA, signed yesterday, will strengthen the networks of both operators, as it will expand coverage and increase redundancy.
Additionally, the resource-sharing agreement will also create savings through improved operational efficiencies and reduced capital expenditure requirements.
“We want to leverage our respective existing facilities through this resource-sharing agreement to bring us closer to our goal of empowering every Filipino home with quality broadband connectivity.
Our collaboration will allow us to reach more customers and deliver better service with increased resiliency,” Converge chief executive officer and co-founder Dennis Anthony H. Uy said.
Strong alliance
Meanwhile, DITO Telecommunity chief executive officer Ernesto Alberto said the agreement will foster healthy competition among the telecom players.
“Under the spirit of forging alliances and healthy competition, this agreement is a testament to both our organizations’ shared commitment to providing the best user experience that our customers deserve — whether consumer or enterprise,” Alberto said.
As of November 2023, Converge’s total fiber assets span 682,000 fiber kilometers and pass over 16.7 million homes, with its household coverage now at 62.3 percent of the total households in the Philippines.
DITO Telecommunity, on the other hand, has over 7,000 cell sites reaching over 80 percent of the population located in over 850 cities and municipalities in the country.
It now has over 9.5 million activated subscribers enjoying access to a pure 4G/5G network.