Converge advances in prepaid fixed broadband since debut

The bold venture into prepaid fixed broadband of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. continues to bear fruit, with its prepaid solution Surf2Sawa (S2S) connecting 115,000 customers since its official launch in March last year.

Advancing its vision to leave no one behind, Converge introduced its pioneering prepaid brand S2S, aiming to extend the capabilities of fiber to the masses, which comprises approximately 9.3 million households.

According to Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy, the rapid uptake in S2S subscribers demonstrates the inherently strong market demand for low-cost broadband services.

“Surf2Sawa has truly been a game-changer for households that previously could not subscribe to a regular postpaid plan because of financial constraints. Offering both affordability and reliability, we are delighted to see how it’s bridging the gap for many Filipino households as they engage in their digitalized lifestyle,” said Uy.

With flexible top-up options for as low as P50 for one-day service up to P700 for a 30-day unlimited connectivity, the product has gained popularity among disadvantaged households seeking to upgrade to fiber connectivity from mobile and wireless broadband.

“Hindi s’ya naging mahirap sa amin na ibenta kasi kasi ngayon ka lang makakakita ng internet na prepaid. Walang prepaid na internet; S2S lang ang mayroon no’n na napakagandang bagay sa mga estudyante na naglo-load lang,” said Ann Lazareto, S2S sales agent from Biñan, Laguna.

[“It wasn’t difficult for us to sell because it was the first time a prepaid internet was introduced. There was no prepaid internet available before; only S2S had that, which is a good option for students who used to load for mobile data.”]

The solution was initially launched to over 400 cities and municipalities nationwide, and has since received a positive response from the customers. In the first quarter of 2023, Surf2Sawa’s subscriber count had nearly doubled even before it had been fully rolled out in the market.

And as the company expanded the reach of Surf2Sawa across the country in the fourth quarter last year, S2S hit its all-time peak in customer acquisition with over 32,000 net subscriber adds, maintaining its consistent traction in South and Central Luzon, as well as the National Capital Region (NCR).

In the same period, S2S had also made its presence in additional 100 cities and municipalities, making it available in more than 600 cities and municipalities and over 30 provinces in the country as of year end.

Uy said that they expect S2S to maintain its growth momentum as they penetrate new regions to reach the unserved and underserved segments of the population.

“As we go all out in its delivery to more customers, we anticipate that S2S will maintain its traction given our strengthened presence in more areas, our partnerships with local distributors, and improved efficiency in our installation operations,” Uy added.

As of end-2023, Converge is serving almost 2.13 million residential customers in the country.