From left: Mark Olmedo, Asus TPR; David Lacsamana, Converge ICT product manager; Onins Aquino, sales head NCR Consumer; Angela Gutierrez, marketing director; Eason Lin, Asus Philippines’ country manager for Open Platform; Florence Valiao, Asus-OP assistant marketing manager; Sandra Tubale-Dingal, segment marketing manager, Consumer, Brand, and Content team. Mike Touzo/@srkt

Fiber internet provider Converge ICT launched a partnership with Asus Philippines’ gaming line Republic of Gamers (ROG) through the Game Changer Campaign, a project that aims to level up the gaming industry.

By integrating Asus ROG’s products with Converge ICT’s assets, the campaign aims to upgrade the pure end-to-end fiber internet experience of Filipinos.

The event was attended by Converge FiberX influencers: PC gaming analyst Richard “Bossmac” Suba of Back2Gaming and Philippines’ top female Twitch Streamer Ann Mateo. The unveiling provided the audience with a glimpse of what is possible with high-grade, secure, and stable internet connection when paired with the best-in-class gaming router.

First unveiled at CES 2017, Asus ROG’s flagship gaming router named “ROG Rapture” awed the audience as the router’s capabilities were explained and demonstrated, powered by Converge’s 100, 300 and 500 Mbps pure fiber internet lines which are available to consumers through its FiberX and Xtreme plans.

ROG Rapture

The ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 features the latest high-end Wi-Fi technology with built-in beamforming, MU-MIMO transmission, gigabit throughput speeds, and client-side encryption (AiProtection) powered by Trend Micro, a leading security solutions provider. These features are also focused further with the router’s three levels of game acceleration, namely: Optimized Gaming Ports, ROG Game Boost, and the Gamers’ Private Network (powered by WTFast), which when combined, will deliver maximum connection throughput and the lowest latency (ping, measured in milliseconds) for online games.

ASUS Philippines’ country manager for Open Platform Business Group Eason Lin shared ROG’s prospects for advancing the Filipino gamer toward a globally competitive eSports scene: “Right now, the gaming format is moving forward, compared with other triple-A games, to a more competitive form. Now it’s about interaction, speed, and stability.”

“For example, if you want to play with your friends, your teammates, Converge’s pure fiber internet is key here to enjoy that kind of experience,” Lin added.

Citing games popular to Filipino players such as PUBG (Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds), Lin said: “Aside from your rig’s tech specs, when you are running, and the internet is slow, you cannot find your enemy. What will be the consequence? You will get pawned or lose. But if you use a better router like ROG Rapture, combined with Converge’s FiberXtreme internet, you will see the enemy first. You need a good instrument, yes, but you also need to have a stable and reliable internet provider.”

Peering partnerships

Fiber Xtreme has set its sights to become Filipino gamers’ connection-of-choice, with Converge fostering peering partnerships with world-renowned video game publishers Valve (Dota 2), and streaming platforms such as Garena (League of Legends), and Twitch. Converge COO Jesus Romero shared Converge ICT’s hopes for the future: “We want to provide Filipino gamers with the best internet connection, because that’s the best edge in terms of performance that they can have, now that they are considered as professional athletes.”

Add-on Mechanics and Availability

New subscribers to Converge’s FiberXtreme plans have the exclusive option to the ASUS ROG Rapture router as an add-on purchase. FiberX 100Mbps plan comes with 50 percent off installation fee, with staggered payment option, while the new Fiber Xtreme 300 and 500Mbps subscribers will get exclusive discounts of up to 100 percent for installation fees.

The FiberX Gaming Package is now available in the market.