Converge and SpaceX Starlink are finally, officially, in official talks. The local broadband provider, Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. confirmed that they are in the midst of discussions with Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Starlink, a broadband internet provider that runs on low-orbit satellite systems.
This was confirmed by Converge co-founder and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy during an interview with ANC. “It’s on,” he replied when asked whether a partnership between Converge and Starlink was still in the cards.
Uy further elaborated that Starlink’s role with Converge wasn’t to replace their Fiber infrastructure but to compliment it. It stands to reason that if you already have a physical Fiber line going into your house, you no longer need a satellite connection. “Musk’s technology will provide faster connection since the satellites are in low orbit and will be able to serve places unreachable by fiber technology,” he said during the interview.
Starlink’s low-orbit satellite system is designed to deliver high-speed broadband internet to remote areas. Falcon 9, the 20th Starlink mission, lofted 60 additional satellites to augment Starlink’s already burgeoning internet constellation. But there’s still much to be done, as more stations are needed to serve Philippine customers if the deal does push through.
Converge is presently looking at expanding its reach to 55 percent of residential households in the country particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. These regions have the largest underserved areas that most local ISPs are also targeting to reach this year. This is likely the region where the Converge and SpaceX Starlink deal would do the most good.
Converge said in February  that it was “still very premature to talk about a possible partnership between Converge and SpaceX at this stage.” Now it appears that the company is pushing the envelope on what improvements partnering with a satellite-based broadband service can do to improve its own network. “We continue to look for new technologies to bring high-speed internet service to Filipinos, which is including SpaceX,” Uy added.
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