Converge honored among UP’s Leading Innovation Partners, shares vision for AI, sovereign digital PH

Leading fiber broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. was recognized as one of the Leading Innovation Partners of the University of the Philippines, underscoring the company’s excellence in enabling organizations through its cutting-edge digital solutions and services. 

The recognition highlights a strategic collaboration established last year between Converge and the national university, which aims to prepare Filipino students for leadership in an artificial intelligence-driven global economy.

The award was presented during the UP Innovation Summit 2026, where Converge EVP and Chief Technology Officer Paulo Martin Santos took part in a high-level panel discussion addressing the role of innovation in solving the country’s most pressing challenges.

Speaking on behalf of the company, Santos shared how Converge contributes to inclusive and sustainable development, emphasizing the critical need for localized infrastructure and continuous workforce upskilling.

During the panel discussion with several private sector representatives, Santos detailed how Converge is evolving beyond traditional connectivity by automating its core operations. 

He shared the company’s transformation story from the upgrade in its Network Operations Center (NOC), where manual ticketing has been replaced by AI-enabled systems, to improvements in its customer operations.

“Five years ago, engineers had to manually check interfaces and create tickets. Today, if the system sees a red indicator, it creates its own ticket and dispatches a crew or auto-refreshes the port,” Santos explained. He added that Converge started deploying AI into its network and customer operations as early as three years ago.

Aside from that, he also revealed that the company’s investment focus is centered on sovereign cloud capabilities to keep Filipino data and applications within the country, and ensure digital independence.

“Most Filipinos access foreign applications, which makes it harder for telecoms to provide low latency. We are focusing on creating a sovereign development sandbox where Filipino enterprises and academia can build their own capabilities for AI and automation right here on our soil.”