Apollo takes off for Converge to break optical networking terabit barrier

As it looks to support vastly increased data demand and enable hyperscale applications, Philippines fibre broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions is deploying the Apollo optical networking system from Ribbon Communications to optimise data transmission across its backbone network.

Claimed to be the fastest-growing fixed broadband service provider in the Philippines, Converge owns over 705,000km of fibre optic assets nationwide, making it one of the most extensive fibre networks in the country. It is also the first to run an end-to-end pure fibre internet network in the country, providing Filipinos with simple, fast, reliable connectivity. Aside from broadband services, the company offers integrated datacentre and network services.

With the new deployment, Converge is said to be “breaking ground” on Ribbon’s 5nm-140Gbaud transmission chipset which, compared with existing network technology, delivers superior performance, is more energy efficient and has better heat management capabilities. It is claimed to be one of the most sustainable technologies for optical networks available today.

In the long term, said Ribbon, these advancements are expected to not only result in significant power and cost savings for Converge, but also make its network more efficient by improving reliability, enhancing data transfer speeds and supporting scalability.

Converge is also using Ribbon’s Muse SDN Domain Orchestration, which provides the necessary tools to maximise its network capabilities and ensure peak efficiency with automation, planning, node design and real-time control.

In all, the deployment will expand Converge’s fibre network capacity from its existing 800Gbps to 1.2Tbps per channel within the network. This will enable it to to offer three times the needed capacity for hyperscale applications, which typically require around 400Gbps.

This new technology will bring our customers unprecedented speed and high bandwidth availability amid the growing demand for data-intensive applications

Assessing the deployment of the new technology and its potential, Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said the technology would equip its network to meet the increasing demand for large-scale capacity amid the rapid surge in data consumption and acceleration of cloud-native applications and services.

“Ribbon’s solution surpasses our stringent requirements for this overlay on our existing backbone, enabling us to set a new standard for innovation. This new technology will bring our customers unprecedented speed and high bandwidth availability amid the growing demand for data-intensive applications,” he remarked. 

The network technology adoption is just one of the several investments Converge has made over the years to augment its network infrastructure.

In 2021, Converge doubled its metro backbone capacity to 800Gbps from its previous capacity of 400Gbps. More recently, Converge inked a memorandum of understanding with Super Micro Computer to jointly establish artificial intelligence-powered green datacentres in the Philippines.

The latest deal also comes days after Ribbon announced that US internet service provider Brightspeed had embarked on a programme to upgrade its legacy assets to its next-generation fibre-optics communications to gain what it regards as the appropriate efficiencies, flexibility and capabilities to facilitate a network transformation.