Future Happy Broadband User
Stay-at-home-moms (SAHM) are so lucky these days. Online job and income opportunities such as a virtual assistant, researcher , problogger or web content writer now transforms them to work-at-home moms (WAHM). Moms get to balance family time, work and personal satisfaction. Now what is the main resource that online users need? A reliable, fast broadband connection, right? Slow connection means low productivity. High productivity means one is able to balance work load and mommy work. Mom’s work gets done fast. No connection at all might even cost loss of opportunities or risk getting replaced. I know of a web content writer working on rush job but missed a deadline because the internet connection died on her. That cost her to lose an income opportunity and reliability as a web content writer. That’s how bad our internet connection is in the Philippines.
Over six months ago, I wrote about my three new Broadband internet providers (Globelines Broadband, Smart Bro and PLDT Mydsl) for which I pay around 4,000 pesos (or $95.00) a month. Am I happy with my three internet providers? I wrote a brief review about these providers a month ago. The ratings I gave those three providers are as follows:
1. Globe Broadband (best)
2. Smart Bro
3. PLDT MyDSL (Worst)
I’m about to file a complaint at the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for PLDT’s mydsl intermittent connection every 10 minutes or so. Come on, can you do better than that? I pay 1,520 pesos a month and I deserve a seamless connection at least 99% of the time. But what do they give me? Dropped connections every 10 minutes?
Smart Bro has really been so good to me ever since I threatened to report them to NTC for non-existent connection for 2 months. Since then, connection has been excellent for over two months now. (knock on wood)
Even if I rated Globelines Broadband as the best among the three, I am not quite happy with their up to 1 mbps connection speed since half the time, it’s 60% of 1mbps. I feel cheated that these three providers con us into :
1. believing that “up to” is substantial. “Up to” is the maximum possible bandwidth promised.
Why can’t you just say that your connection is 600kbps? You want us to believe that we can attain 1Mbps most of the time when in fact, it’s 20% of the time.
2. Their connection is faster than dial up.
Really now? Are we supposed to believe that we should continue to live in the dark ages of dial up? Stop using the byline line faster than dial-up when you promote your broadband ads . You can’t fool someone like me who has been using cable internet for 8 years now. Yes, you can fool the dialup users but how long can you fool them?
So let’s see, when a new internet provider will dispel all the above marketing gimmicks of our current internet service providers, what will happen now? These unhappy internet users will definitely move to the new reliable internet provider who will make them happy broadband users.
Who is this possible internet provider?
Happy Communications will offer consumer broadband in the first quarter of 2008. Right now, their services mainly cater to corporate users. Naturally, they want to know more of their potential users before their public launch. I happened to have a one-on-one discussion with John Marvin T. Cruz , Chief Marketing Officer of Happy Communications. I was eager to meet Marvin because I am always in the lookout for alternative broadband services. I must say their Happy Wireless Broadband is very promising. All I have to see and experience is if it promises to deliver.
What do they offer?
1. Happy is the first to offer 4G technology in the country- fully wireless Internet Protocol-based applications at speeds of 50 Mbps to 1 Gbpz.
2. Happy operates in a truly wireless platform, running on a next generation network that relays real-time information to literally any point within the metro-true connectivity without the need for wires or even fiber optics. The 4G framework allows for the delivery of Triple Play services- cost-friendly, mobile and simultaneous communication of data, voice and video with just one connection.
3. Happy provides dedicated bandwidth for each and every user. This means no more connection sharing with other users in the area.
Now if you didn’t understand that, that’s okay because the one thing I understood was that they provide flexible bandwidth options starting at 2mbps connectivity (and not the UP TO that most of our providers say). I will actually get the bandwidth I am paying for. Wireless signal fidelity and connectivity speed problems are things of the past, so they claim.
I was quite excited at the prospect that I can have wireless connection (similar to Globe Visibility) at least for Metro Manila. No need to buy those Airborne Access or Globequest wi-fi cards in coffee shops. Imagine working on your laptop while waiting for your kid’s dismissal from school? Nothing is definite yet but initial plans may start at 995 pesos.
I stressed the need for prompt and reliable customer support. There is nothing more infuriating than waiting for customer support to answer your call. Secondly, having dumb customer service reps who can’t answer your questions is just as irritating.
Indeed, I told Marvin that there is a large market for the mommies who have online jobs or business. If their promise to give speedy and reliable connectivity is true, expect happy internet users.
For more techie stuff, read Jayvee’s entry, Happy Internet to launch WiMax service in 2008
This is about me ( a 
wow, 3 providers? Hope the new Happy Broadband delivers. It would sure help a lot of work-at-home moms
Yep, I hope they do deliver on their promises.
@dexie- yes lots of potential Happy users.
@Jhay- it remains to be seen of course. It’s all talk for now.
hi noemi. we’re subscribers of bayantel dsl for about 2 years now, and we’re happy with their service. kaya lang, limitado ang areas ng bayantel.
pldt dsl is very aggressive nowadays. ive been receiving calls at least once a week for at least 2 months now frm their telemarketers, encouraging us to dump bayantel and get pldt dsl. im not convinced, esp since ive been reading a lot of posts complaining about pldt’s poor service.
@ladycess- i wanted bayantel too but unfortunately, it’s not offered in Pasig.
hi i enjoyed reading them all. I have worked for 12 years, raised 2 lovely daughters and I hardly noticed that it has been almost 6 years that i dont have a job and become a stay at home mom. it is rewarding seeing your kids grow and witnessed all their “firsts” but i must admit when they are both in schools i am left nothing to do but just wait for them. though i handle our households but i am not growing as a person/individual. well maybe this goes with the age as well. I am looking for a part time/home based job where i can work and hopefully open my closet again and practice my skills –6 years and able to be with my kids at the same time. please help me huhuhu
@matet- read this entry
JOBS: Work from Home and Earn Money
true Noems, broadband really makes a difference. i remember a few weeks ago I engaged a part timer to do some work–to upload in google sharing some data from the internet. For 5 hours, he reported to have uploaded 10 entries. I tested the task myself–I was able to upload 40 entries in 1 hour! Gosh! you know why? he was using dial up all the time!
this blog deserves all the awards out there. i am so much impressed that a blog could be as sensible like this. i guess this will be habit for me to read blogs much like this blog. thank you miss noemi and i guess you already have an admirer in me. ill vote for this blog at webbys.
@sexy mom- some are not aware that having a faster connection works to your advantage. So much lost time waiting or doing productive work. Dialup cost is not that far away from the cheapest broadband service.
@Quiel- thank you for the kind words and support. I try to be sensible.
hi noemi, i’m a work-at-home mom and have been a PLDT myDSL customer for years and years. My boss over at inquirer.net knows that i am the unofficial president of THE PLDT SUCKS club. i have told mon isberto about my grievances and he wonders why i go through the official channels when I am complaining instead of giving him a ring. my point is, i shouldnt have to use “connections” to get good customer service right? Problem is, until now I havent seen any other alternative. most of the broadband providers just ride on smart’s backbone. but i will have to look at the other options you wrote about. thanks for a very interesting post and look forward to reading more from you blog…
@salve- that’s why I welcome competitors or new players in the broadband industry just so the services get better. PLDT MyDSL sucks big time talaga. I have not gotten a smooth connection since I got connected last April. Can you imagine those who don’t have connections to PLDT mydsl?
oohh WiMax!
Did they really pitch it as “4G”? WiMax is NOT 4G but a completely different platform. That’s misleading people (certainly misled me, I thought Japan’s the only country developing the real 4G standard right now).
Please don’t forget me when Happy Wireless launches and arranges an all-blogger event *nudge, nudge*
@jeff- i am not a techie. I just heard 4G and wimax. of course, I won’t forget the uber-techies like you.
Yes, you guessed it right .. di ko gets the language you’re using but very imperssed nonetheless … all I understand is HAPPY. I want to be a happy broad band user. And I know that these days I am very unhappy. Am already a neglectful blog hopper and internet surfer as it is … the disconnections every so many minutes and the SLOOOWW MO arent helping any!!!! Ty for giving hope.
Hi,
Are you saying you have 3 broadband connections at home? And not one satifies you? And you’re paying Php4,000? Oohh Wow!
Our broadband connection exists thru the courtesy of my son. He subscribed to globe silver explorer (Php2,800) and was locked in for 1 year. During that time the service wasn’t really up to par despite the routers attached to it. Recently, he bought another router, attached it over and above the first. Now our connection seems to be going fine. Actually, there’s 3 of us using our broadband. Our laptop, my youngest son’s desktop and another desktop(broadbandpayor). Two of these are hooked wi-fi. We have recently readjusted our service to 1MBPS non-wired and it’s been great. My son pays Php1,400 including VAT.
I understand from my son that speed can not be improved by a router. Speed normally, he says depends on your location; that is if you are far from the provider’s copper exchange, the connection will really be poor.
Cheers!
Noemi, this post is the answer to my prayers! Been having PLDT DSL issues the past few months. Thanks for the line-up of alternatives.
While i was reading your article i was smiling and nodding.
We had the same problem with our connections too, but after
a couple of months we finally decided to just cut it off because its a
waste of money and time. I think these company will do something about it.
P.S.
I am so sorry to hear about your son
i have a six year old brother and i cant
imagine losing him…Just stay strong
God will make a way
im a nurse working here in kuwait and my wife used a shared dsl connections with our kapitbahay even they are many sharing the connections and pay a nice sum to them around P500 per month eka nga pwede ng pagtyagaan just to connect the net and not missed our communications regularly, but there in pinas i may say you are still advance pagdating sa intoductions of new communication technologies kasi you are ahead ng 1 year kaysa dito sa kuwait like 3g tech. was introduced here recently lang sa pinas eh last year pa. Now im using wifi connections here in my hostel accomodations pero pagdating sa mga gadgets and gizmos mas ahead kami dito sa kuwait sa latest techie gizmos na dumadating but syempre pagdating sa practicality and price theres no place like home pa din..pinas is the best…..
i also get intermittent connections with our pldt dsl..it happens from a span of 5 to 30mins..i can’t surf decently coz of that..
my cousins are lucky, theirs can last almost 2 hours before experiencing a dropped connection..
nice post! i have always wanted to do blogging, its just that i still have to take a lot of lessons on the how to’s. i am at the moment connected with… my wife(lol) who works as a medical transcriptionist(home-based)and have been using smartbro for 2 years now and as mentioned, smartbro has had its erratic connections. a friend referred us to the happy broadband website and in turn led me to your blog. i loved reading blogs so i get to have bits and pieces of the how to’s. and i hope you can give me pointers on the blogging stuff. lastly, i also just want to ask if happy broadband is already available for non corporate subscribers.
Have you heard anything more about this service? I am checking out their website and it looks fantastic although there are still not any details regarding pricing. We are about to move from Manila to QC (New Manila) and the more I research the local ISP’s, the more confused I get. It seems that the area one is in can make or break the quality of service.
Love your blog! I read it all the time!!!
@kikas_head- I don’t think they have launched yet.
Thank you! I contacted them and although they are not yet available, I got an immediate response from them which was awesome!
kikas_head’s last blog post..Still in San Francisco…..
It’s year 2009. What happened to the launching of the so-called “next generation network”
Noemi,
Thank you for your articles regarding broadband connections. I came across your blog while I was trying to research what is the best ISP provider that services GMA, Cavite. And the reason is I will be moving back to the Philippines (GMA, Cavite) after having work here in US (Silicon Valley) for so many years. I am a Hardware Engineer so I need a realible ISP for consultancy work. How do I find out which ISP provides wireless broadband services to a particular area (i.e GMA, Cavite)?
oh my God! Globe best? Globe SUCKS!
kung meron man sa inyo nagbabalak na mag-pakabit sa Globe… ay naku wag na ninyo ituloy makakaranas kayo ng impyerno sa buhay nyo kapagnagpakabit kayo sa Globe Broadband di ko nga alam kung dapat ba talaga tawagin Broadband dapat jan Narrowband…..palpak ang serbisyo laging nagdedisconnet…. dapat sa mga ISP na ito paimbestigahan din kc mga magnanakaw…simpleng magnanakaw mga ISP sa pilipinas…. pag nagdemo sila mapapanganga ka sa speed na ipapakita sayo pero “set up” lang pala yun…kapag nakapag sign up ka na at nakabitan ka na doon na magsisimula ang kalbaryo ng buhay mo…mga sinungaling yan sa Globe mga magnanakaw…..ang kakapal na ilagay ka s lock-in period na 1 year pero bulok nmn at di nmn nila maibigay ng tama yun pinirmahan na speed s kontrata….mga sinungaling mga yan mga mandarambong mga magnanakaw…………WAG NA WAG NA KAYO MAGPAPAPKABIT SA GLOBE…GLOBE IS A BIG MISTAKE! employee lng ng globe ang magsasabing maganda ang serbisyo ng Globe….mamatay ka ng sinungaling ka!
LAHAT NG ISP SA PILIPINAS MGA ABUSADO MGA MAGNANAKAW BAKIT KAYA PINAPABAYAAN NG NTC ANG MGA DAMBUHALANG MAGNANAKAW NA MGA ITO? ILANG PORSYENTO KAYA KICK BACK NILA D2…DAPAT ANG NTC NAGMOMONITOR NG MGA KAPALPAKAN NG MGA MAGNANAKAW NA ISP NA YAN…NATUTULOG SA PANSITAN MGA TAGA NTC….PAREHO MGA BULOK SERBISYO!