Converge to power up MCIA with free Internet access
BY AUGUST this year, fixed broadband operator Converge ICT Solutions Inc. will install its free WiFi services at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) to provide connectivity to all local and foreign travelers.
Dennis Anthony Uy, Converge’s chief executive officer and co-founder, made this announcement on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, during the company’s first-quarter media briefing.
The company said that in the coming months, it will roll out its free WiFi services to the remaining contracted airports.
Converge has completed the rollout of its free WiFi project in all terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) early this year. The company plans to extend this service to eight more airports nationwide in the coming months.
“In August, we will install free WiFi in Cebu and Tacloban,” said Converge chief commercial officer Benjamin Azada.
In the coming months, starting in June, other domestic and international gateways will also be covered by free connectivity, including Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City, Bacolod-Silay Airport, Iloilo International Airport, Laoag International Airport; Pagadian Airport; Tacloban Airport; and Zamboanga International Airport.
This program forms part of the Free Pure Fiber Wi-Fi project of Converge where it aims to deliver free connectivity to all the terminals of selected nine international and domestic airports in the country, in partnership with the Department of Transportation and several airport operators.
Q1 performance
Converge started 2024 strong, as consolidated revenues hit P9.5 billion in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 10.4 percent compared to the same period last year. The firm’s net income reached P2.6 billion, up 17.5 percent year-on-year, amid sustained robust demand for its flagship and flanker fiber broadband products and enterprise solutions.
“This strong showing in the first quarter of 2024 puts us solidly on track to reach our revenue guidance for the year. We’re confident we can sustain this steady growth for the rest of the year, especially as we lean into our mass-market offerings,” said Converge president and co-founder Maria Grace Uy.
Converge registered its highest quarterly net additions in subscribers in 10 quarters, with 124,793 added to its subscriber base to reach nearly 2.3 million residential customers at the end of March 2024.
“We continue to see rising demand for our fiber products, both prepaid and postpaid. At the same time, we are not sitting still - we are diversifying our potential offerings to go beyond connectivity through cooperation with global tech companies, such as the recently concluded Memorandum of Understanding with Naver Cloud of South Korea,” said Dennis.
Enterprise revenues grew by 10.5 percent in the first quarter of the year, reaching P 1.4 billion. Enterprise remains a growth area for the company, as it intends to officially roll out forthcoming products targeting the micro, small and medium enterprises sector and expand services to the public sector.
“For the rest of 2024, we are laser-focused on growing our sales partnerships and distribution channels to further prop up customer acquisition in our mass market brands. We also plan to strengthen the push for our Enterprise-grade solutions to growing industries,” said Azada. / KOC