Shopping for a new Cable Broadband Internet Provider
My family is moving to our new home in the Pasig-Markina sometime next year. It’s an exciting move and something to look forward to. One of the things that I will miss in Makati are the array of Cable Broadband Internet providers and free wi-fi hotspots. I just realized how fortunate Makati residents are when it comes to broadband providers. I have been spoiled by Destiny Cable my primary broadband provider since 1999 which provides us with no speed limit at a reasonable rate of 1688 pesos a month. And this includes TV cable as well. In fact the speed falls to 386 kbps, the support service is sent to the house. Now, I also have Smart Bro which is incredibly slow. If you are spoled with 2MBPs internet speed by Destiny Cable, you will scoff at Smart Bro’s dismal less than 200 kbps speed. It’s supposed to be 386 kbps. Speed and reliability are important to me because I am a netrepreneur and derive income from my e-commerce sites.
When I started to ask around the area of our future home, disappointment overcame me when I found out that my trusty cable provider did not have any service there. I need 2 cable broadband internet providers for redundancy measures. What choices did that leave me?
1. PLDT Mydsl- the most popular of the providers in the Pasig-Marikina area. The myDSL Xperience cost Php 999/month at 512 Kbps speed.
2.GlobeQUEST Broadband Internet - Aside from the broadband internet, Globe Innove launched a new product/service called the
Speak and Surf which is an out of the box solution for broadband internet and landline telephone. This is really cool but I’d like to test it first before being stuck to their 12 month lock-in period.
3. Bayantel’s SKYDsl has a 14 day satisfaction guarantee program which is similar to a money back guarantee. This is a great deal since one is never sure how an internet connection works unless you try it out.
4. Smart Bro Wireless Broadband- Slow, Slower, Slowest! I use this service as backup. But see, their site boasts on 7x faster than the speed of dial-up! If you are so used to dialup, it’s not a problem but if one is aware that unreliable speed is unacceptable, it’s illegal for them to even display such a speed limit of 512 kbps.
My sentiments go to all the broadband providers. Don’t promise a speed you cannot attain about 50% of the time. Don’t cram customers in your server/lines. In fact, provide customer service if connection speed falls below 256 kbps for long periods of time. So in the following months, I will be looking for two cable broadband internet providers . Hopefully I can test their services first before getting tied down to the mandatory 12 month lock-in period. Only in the Philippines can you find such a crazy scheme . When I first started out with Destiny Cable in 1999, they were the only broadband provider. They only lock you in if you leased the modem from them but if you purchased it, then you ‘re not stuck with them. I cannot for the life of me, understand why the current cable internet providers impose the lock-in period. Are they not confident of their services? Or are they just greedy and need to contain their market share?
Technorati Tags: cable broadband internet
This is about me ( a 
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I had once mentioned to Sassy (C.V.) that a truly dependable high speed Internet access may not come about locally for another 3 years. In NYC dsl is cheap (15 bucks) and cable (40.00 dollars) and no one ever has any problems as our local users here in Metro Manila. No silly lock-in contracts, either.
bayantel skydsl and globe dsl are both highly recommended if destiny is not available. Bayantel for its quick 24 service or money back and globe for its reliable and fast connection
but…. destiny > all :~)
@eric- our local providers are still not getting it. I don’t know if it’s the infrastructure or just plain greedy on their part to overcrowd their servers
@jepoy- I hope to test these new providers soon. Destiny may not be reliable in some areas in Manila
meron bang my destiny internet connection d2 sa fairview?
Hi,
Im not a globe/Innove employee, although im recommnding you SNS(Speak and Surf) so far so good naman, particularly their internet connection although it is through dial up! pwede na. Their landline is quite fair, choppy in some places like under the bridge, tunnel etc. This package save you a lot compare to cellphone particularly if you ‘re using PDA or a pocket PC. At least you can surf while driving! he..he.. But dont forget to charge your battery and unit. BTW, you may use an inverter for your car AC Volt.
Hi Noemi, update:
Skycable high speed Internet access is now available in my area in QC; however, their prices are outright outrageous.
I don’t know what we can do about this, but the more we patronize such costly online access the more we contribute to the great economic divide in our country. Eventually, only the rich can afford Internet. What these companies are doing is creating a revenue model based on US dollars. Why can’t they develop a pricing scheme according to the average local earning capacity of the prospective subscribers.
And this 12-month lock-in period is unacceptable.
This reminds me of when I was a young kid, only the rich and “connected” had telephone landlines.
Without an affordable high-speed online access for the general public, we will remain behind other developing countries. But then again, perhaps, it’s the access to information by common Pinoy folks which scares most of our ruling elites.
@eric- I’ve seent the price list of Sky Cable and they have been outrageously high. I think the only affordable internet service is Smart Bro, Bayantel and Globe internet. The smart bro we have is getting better though but I am not sure of the bayantel and globe.
hello. read your comments. i’m from hawaii. planninng to come there to the philippines to open an internet cafe and a wedding bridal shop. my problem is, i am searching feverishly online for a reliable broadband internet service provider. we use clearwire here and it runs like a bullet. i can’t ever imagine using dial up. do you have any good places to open up business there?
Dear Noemi,
Thank you for your post. As a balikbayan here for the “winter” holidays, this post has been helpful.
It seems many of the broadband internet companies have a 1-year minimum contract. For example, http://www.pldtdsl.com/packageres.asp says in Note number 6: Lock-in period is 12 months (without promo).
So my question is: where can we get promos?
Thanks.
Please email if you can.
Yes, it is informative. I am just using pre-paid card for internet
connection. I am still studying what broadband or dsl type I may
try to get into. I reside in New Manila, Q.C. What do you think
should be a good broadband or dsl provider: fast, reasonable cost,
good service and prompt for assistance, etc. Thanks for your
effort and energy. Jetiu
Jeez, Here we are almost 2 years after this was first posted and STILL having the same problems. I just moved to Legaspi Towers in Malate, Manila and after 3 months, still have not been able to secure the services of an Internet provider. I tried PLDT first, but “naubusan ng ‘ports’…sorry na lang…’” I tried Sky, Destiny, Bayantel, Globe, and Smart - - ALL refused. None of them provided alternatives until I asked, no pleaded, and at least 3 providers didn’t even bother to call back. I even tried lesser known providers that I dug up off the net, but apparently they only do dial-up. The only glimmer of hope seems to be coming from SMART, but I’m reluctant to pay P4,000.00 PLUS P10.00/hr of use!! So to hell with the lot of them. I’m cancelling my landline and moving to Sun. Here’s a big middle finger for you all.
Totoo bang maganda ang My destiny?