The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Story and photos by Alvin I. Dacanay
For far too long, Filipinos have tolerated inadequate internet services that promised much more than what their providers actually delivered, partly because there are no better choices available in the market. That may now change, after information and communications technology (ICT) firm Converge ICT and top networking solutions provider Linksys struck a partnership that included the latter introducing its new high-speed routers for homes and small offices.
During their media launch at the Reliance Center in Pasig City last month, Linksys International Business Unit Head Jai Thampi unveiled the Max- Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output) (EA8500) and Max-Stream AC1900 MU-MIMO (EA7500) Gigabit routers, which he described as “the world’s first MU-MIMO routers.”
“When [telecommunications equipment company] Qualcomm came up with this [MU-MIMO] technology, [it] partnered with Linksys. Last year, we introduced this product—announced it globally— and since then, it kind of set the standard for MU-MIMO,” Thampi said.
“MU-MIMO technology is called the ‘next-generation AC [alternating current] technology,’ because it truly [represents] a breakthrough when it comes to fundamentally [changing] how routers communicate with client devices in the home or office,” he explained.
“Conventional Wi-Fi [wireless fidelity] technology used to give you the impression that every device is being served at the same time. [But] if you break down the time to a small chunk—say, milliseconds or microseconds—actually, the router is only ‘talking’ to one device at a time,” the Linksys official said. “So while the router is communicating with one device, all the other devices are waiting for their turn.”
In a statement, Linksys said the Max-Stream AC2600 is a router that “leverages the 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO technology, which helps ensure uninterrupted Wi-Fi connectivity to all devices in the home and functions as if [these] devices have their own dedicated router.”
“With MU-MIMO, the entire household can stream movies, play video games, listen to music, shop, check e-mails, and more—all at the same time,” it added.
According to Linksys, this technology helps deliver Wi-Fi speeds that are three times faster than those offered by conventional Wi-Fi routers. These speeds—1733 megabytes per second for 5 gigahertz and 800 Mbps for 2.4 GHz, for a total of 2.53 gigabytes per second—help reduce buffering and allow for quicker downloads.
The router has “a supercharged 1.4 GHz dual-core CPU [central processing unit] and four Gigabit ports that offer speeds that are perfect for heavy-bandwidth wired gaming. Users can attach devices to the USB 3.0 port and a combo USB 2.0/eSATA port for uninterrupted personal cloud streaming or to share data across their network. The four removable external antennas are adjustable for maximum coverage, while beanforming technology concentrates the Wi-Fi signal to each device for [a] stronger [and] better performance, and increased mobile speed and range.”
4K, HD TV streaming
Like the Max-Stream AC2600, the Max-Stream AC1900 possesses the same 802.11ac Wave 2 MU-MIMO technology, with which users can enjoy 4K and high-definition television steaming to multiple devices, as well as the other activities enjoyed by AC2600 users.
Linksys said this router, also powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, “can provide users with combined speeds up to 1.9 Gbps [1,300 Mbps for 5 GHz and 600 Mbps for 2.4 GHz] and the range they need to connect all their devices in the home and at the same time.”
“Also included [in the router] is Smart Wi-Fi technology, which makes it easy to set up and control your home Wi-Fi from anywhere using the Smart Wi-Fi app on your mobile device,” it added.
Other features of the router are 4 Gigabit LAN Ethernet ports and 1 Gigabit WAN for wired speeds up to 10 times faster-than-fast Eternet; one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 ports; and three external and adjustable antennas for maximum coverage.
Value-added service
Both these routers—which can accommodate a maximum of 100 devices, though the recommended number is 30—are set to be offered by Converge as a value-added service to subscribers of the firm’s FiberX internet plans, which are marked by their use of fiber-optic technology. These plans have an unlimited volume allowance, and range from one offering a burst speed of 20 Mbps to another promising 100 Mbps.
“We cannot just depend on the basic router that we provide [to our subscribers]. We need something like this [Linksys MU-MIMO routers]. So we will be launching [them] as an add-on [service],” Converge Chief Operating Officer Jesus Romero said during the launch.
“We’re partnering with them [Linksys], so that we’ll have a full [ICT] solution. So that we can provide real broadband [internet] to the Philippines,” he added.
“With this partnership, we’re actually developing higher-speed plans,” the Converge official said.
On its website, Converge describes itself as a “premier provider of customer-focused telecommunications and ICT solutions dedicated to equip, enable, and empower our clients.”
Places currently served by its fiber-optic network include Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga and Tarlac.
The Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router costs P13,000, while the Max-Stream AC1900 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router is priced at P10,590. Both are available at leading and online computer retailers. For more information, visit www.linksys.com/ph.
For inquiries about Converge ICT and its internet-subscription plans, visit www.convergeict.com.