The Fiber Network Council APAC (FNC APAC), the Asia Pacific’s organization of broadband and telecommunications industries, held its flagship conference in the Philippines on Tuesday (November 5), focusing on emerging technologies and how fiber-based solutions can propel these further.

(from left: President and COO of ComClark Network and Technology Corp. Benedicto Bulatao, FNC APAC Conference Chair Dr. Fouad “Frank” Jaffer, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, FNC APAC President Dr.Xiong Zhuang , Shoichi Hanatani, Vice President of FNC APAC, and Rusafie Alam, Secretariat Advisor of FNC APAC)

The FiberConnect APAC Conference 2024, in partnership with leading Philippine fiber broadband and technology solutions provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc., featured experts, industrialists, internet service providers, and various stakeholders in the fiber industry who imparted insights on the current developments driving fiber deployment in the region.

“As the pioneer of fiber technology in the Philippines, it is my honor to bring the region’s foremost fiber professionals and specialists to the country and showcase not just our company’s growth, but the development of the fiber industry as a whole, especially in the context of rapidly growing technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing,” noted Dennis Anthony H. Uy, CEO of Converge ICT, a founding member of the FNC APAC.

Benedicto Bulatao of ComClark Network and Technology Corp. delivered the opening remarks of Converge CEO Mr. Dennis Anthony Uy, revealing the plans of the company to add more innovation to the company’s suite of services.

“Converge ICT is the first broadband operator-member of FNC APAC from the Philippines and they are a prime example of what fiber transformation can do in the Philippines’ case. We want to highlight how fiber networks can be sustainable in a geographically challenging country, coupled with high technical skills in supporting industries such as call centers and design engineering firms. If people around the world are designing smart cities, they should know a lot of the brain work is being done in the Philippines,” noted Dr. Fouad ‘Frank’ Jaffer, FNC APAC’s Conference Chair.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy apprised the audience and media of developments in the government’s National Fiber Backbone Project.

Lending his insight and support to the industry event is Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy, who underlined the government’s primary initiatives to catalyze fiber network growth and fiber broadband penetration in the Philippines.

DICT Secretary Uy underlined the DICT’s mission to fiberize the country, to open up more opportunities to Filipinos via strong connectivity.

“Through the National Fiber Backbone Project, we are building the infrastructure that will sustain our ambitions. High-speed networks now reach from Laoag to Quezon City, providing stable connections to 14 provinces and critical national centers. With Phases 2 and 3 set for early 2025, this backbone will empower our public sector, streamline services, and connect Filipinos with reliable internet,” said Secretary Uy in his speech.

Bulatao reiterated the Converge and its affiliates’ mission to Empower the Filipino Nation through its digital products and services that aim to lower the barrier cost of internet access for majority of Filipinos.

Uy also highlighted the government’s Free Wifi program (of which Converge has a counterpart, a Free Wifi project in Philippine airports), which now connects 10 million unique users nationwide, creating access to education, healthcare, and entrepreneurial possibilities that were previously out of reach.

The conference’s esteemed panelists include executives from Nokia Bell Labs, YOFC, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Japan, EXFO, PLDT, and among others.

Converge Chief Network Transformation Officer Paulo Martin ‘Santi’ G. Santos spoke about how AI is changing and advancing the Converge fiber network.

Converge Chief Network Transformation Officer Paulo Martin ‘Santi’ Santos also touched on a current innovation of the company in network management — the infusion of artificial intelligence and automation in its operations.

“What differentiates Converge as a technology company is our synergized approach to digital transformation. We have built our national digital highway and international network. We are building the digital infrastructure with our cloud and multi-edge data center strategy. And we are also looking at the solutions that go on top of the infra from videos, to gaming to apps, including IoT. We can only do these because we have a world class network to begin with,” noted Santos.

Running alongside the conference is a roster of exhibitors from the broadband and telecommunications industries, showing the latest fiber products and innovations.