What is the Good network to usein Philippines?

randy87 New member

4POSTS

12 years ago

Just wanna know what network u can suggest upon staying in Philippines, is it globe or smart? I want to choose smart coz maybe the name says it all but on my research, I have read a lot of bad reviews from them. What can you say?

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Rei Ambers Member

10POSTS

12 years ago

Hi randy87,

That's a tricky question. I supposed it will depend on your preference. Both network has its pros & cons. Try to check which suits you best for your lifestyle. Both network has its share of promos and combos that caters everyone's needs. Will you be getting a prepaid or a postpaid plan?
For the record, I'm a globe user myself and won't be switching anytime soon as I'm fairly satisfied with their service. But I have friends who preferred Smart or even Sun Cellular.

Rei

gardun Member

3POSTS

12 years ago

Depends on where you are going to be living -- though in the big cities it doesn't much matter.聽 In the countryside where I am, I have used Globe for many years & been quite satisfied. Anyway, unless you sign-up getting a phone from them with a long-term contract, you can easily switch from 1 to the other if you later develop a preference.

rowellg Member

12POSTS

12 years ago

The problem with GLOBE is the unpleasant and discommoding experience of talking to their Customer Service. Sorry but really unsatisfactory.

TeeJay4103 Serial expat

637POSTS

12 years ago

Proximity to the providers cell tower and signal strength would be a deciding factor for me. Just because the two carriers may be sharing a tower does not necessarily mean their signal strength will be equal.
At our home Smart has a strong signal at the gate and is used for internet聽 and 2 blocks down the road at our home Globe has a better signal.
We currently use globe phone and wireless internet and have very little problems with access or outages, albeit we are not using a smoking hot connection at P799 per month, it is fast enough for our needs and allows us to watch a movie.

Okieboy Serial expat

659POSTS

5 years ago

Depends on who has the strongest signal, I am surprised over the fiber WiFi we have good signal all the time, and they just laid the WiFi lines under ground it is the free WiFi by telcom

1 member reacted to this post

RainTrek Member

13POSTS

5 years ago

We are using Globe for 5 mobile phones in Cagayan de Oro. I am satisfied with it. I can buy load directly on my BPI online banking web page and manage with the Globe One app on iPhones and Androids. I asked several people about which is better, Smart or Globe, and was told that Globe is preferred by most people in the cities. They said Smart (part of PLDT) is good for rural areas where Globe does not yet have towers. I don't know if this information is accurate, but I can say that nearly everyone I have met is using Globe here in CDO. I used Smart years ago when here visiting, mostly for data (SmartBro USB). It was frustrating then but may be better now.
We also use Globe@Home fiber for our home internet. We get 20Mbps minimum though the plan we purchased stated 10-15Mbps. So far it has been very reliable.

nutinphark Banned

5POSTS

5 years ago

Okieboy wrote:
Depends on who has the strongest signal, I am surprised over the fiber WiFi we have good signal all the time, and they just laid the WiFi lines under ground it is the free WiFi by telcom

Wi-Fi is the name of wireless technology that uses radio waves... So they are putting radio waves underground ... Maybe the new technology is called UGWiFi because it's underground .. Don't tell anybody ... Top Secret .. Eyes Only ..

Fil-Am Mom Active member

83POSTS

5 years ago

Early last year, my husband had a broadband subscription with Globe and I with Smart. Both were post paid.

Most of the time, Smart and Globe have the same speed, except when the lock-in period / contract is about to expire. Then it gets unbearably slow. We would then complain.

Smart and Globe would then tell us that our units would need to be upgraded to return to the previous speed. The unit would be free if we renew the contract, but ridiculously over priced if we just do a month-to-month.

I have Globe Fiber DSL at my work. Costs 1,900 per month. The problem is the subscription automatically comes with a landline phone. I already have two other landline phones with two other providers. I could not remove the phone from my plan and get a discount. It's supposed to be 'unlimited", but there's a cap of 8G / day. If I go beyond that cap, my connection slows down.

Don't bother signing up with PLDT. PLDT is the oldest phone provider in the Philippines.聽 And for a long time, they were the only phone provider. They're spoiled and seem oblivious to the competition. From my experience, I found their connection to be slow , customer service bad, and phone and internet plans not competitive.

We already cancelled our Globe and Smart subscription in October 2019. We now have Converge Fiber at home. 35 mbps. Unlimited data.1,600 pesos per month. I'm very much satisfied with the connection. Connection is still strong even if my 2 kids are having online classes, my husband watching Netflix and playing his game, I checking my emails, and 3 mobile phones online,聽 all at the same time.

1 member reacted to this post

Enzyte Bob ViP

4299POSTS

5 years ago

#10

Fil-Am Mom wrote:
We now have Converge Fiber at home. 35 mbps. Unlimited data.1,600 pesos per month. I'm very much satisfied with the connection. Connection is still strong even if my 2 kids are having online classes, my husband watching Netflix and playing his game, I checking my emails, and 3 mobile phones online,聽 all at the same time.

This old thread has come back to life, so I'll give my 2 cent worth of my recent experience, maybe it will help others in this present time frame.

We had PDLT which was awful and getting worse. We lost service for聽 three weeks, many phone calls to them met with unfulfilled promises of service.

Then I switched over to Sky who we were using for cable TV. I now pay 3478 php for 75 mps, which at this writing is running at 68 mps download and 15 mps upload. This includes cable service for two TV's.

Never any re-buffering聽 Running two smart TV's, two computers and five mobile phones (that can use internet and聽 Netflix.

1 member reacted to this post

Calif-Native VIP Member

510POSTS

5 years ago

#11

There are post here with very good info.聽 To answer your question here in late 2020, PLDT remains the dominant TELCO and the following should be understood.

1. DSL - Older technology that brings data & voice (land line) to your house via copper wire to the router.聽 The router output then provides wired (via it's LAN/WAN ports) or wireless (WIFI) to your devices in your home.聽

2. FIBER (fibre optics) - Newer technology that brings data & voice (land line) to your house via thin flexible fibers of glass to the router.聽 The router output then provides wired (via it's LAN/WAN ports) or wireless (WIFI) to your devices in your home.聽

Note: All WIFI is above ground and is subject to signal/bandwidth loss based on distance (typically, no more than 30 feet/10 meters) and line-of-sight interference.

PLDT - Nearly all new installations are Home Fibre (aka Home FIBR) and will give "ok" performance at the lower speeds, if they install it with proper looping at all 90 degree turns.聽 The next lower install is DSL, if they will do it now.聽 Neither service will have any towers involved, as DSL or Fibr is not dependent on 4G/5G microwave transmissions.

Recommendations - It remains hard to beat PLDT here in late 2020 (in most areas), even with their very poor CS and maintainability.聽 My contracted speed in Tagaytay is 120Mbps and there are times when I see 80% of that on the down and 40% on the up tests.

Always perform speed testing -聽 However, speed testing should never be with the default setting PLDT uses, as that will give a false high due to the PLDT default testing forcing the PING/server selection to stay within the country.聽

Simply put, with any speed test you intend to perform, it must be properly connected to world for a true "www" speed test.聽

With the above in mind, I always select the speed test to be between my home in Tagaytay and a server in Los Angeles, CA.聽 I have had to remind PLDT many times when they throttle the connection down, that they offer and we (the customer) contract for "Internet" (i.e., world wide web [www]),聽 not "Intranet" (i.e., philippine wide web [pww].聽

I posted on this topic a few years back.

Summary - The faster your reliable physical connection is to your home router (via DSL or Fiber), the faster/more reliable your wireless (home WIFI) can be.聽

Based on the speed you pay/contract for, PLDT accepts 80% of that speed and a PING of less than 200ms as a "good circuit" and will not fix a reported slow connection within these specs. Therefore, adjust/select your plan accordingly.

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Calif-Native VIP Member

510POSTS

5 years ago

#12

nutinphark wrote:
Okieboy wrote:
Depends on who has the strongest signal, I am surprised over the fiber WiFi we have good signal all the time, and they just laid the WiFi lines under ground it is the free WiFi by telcom

Wi-Fi is the name of wireless technology that uses radio waves... So they are putting radio waves underground ... Maybe the new technology is called UGWiFi because it's underground .. Don't tell anybody ... Top Secret .. Eyes Only ..

Nutinphark,
You have been on this forum for less than 48 hours and it appears your focus is to make fun of or post condescending remarks on other expat's post(s), that may not have or express a level of technology that you think you have.聽

Case in point, there is no need to mock Okieboy or any other expat here.聽 When you respond to a person's honest attempt to explain their point or concerns,聽 expressions like:

"So they are putting radio waves underground"

" ... Maybe the new technology is called UGWiFi because it's underground "

etc......聽聽are not needed, nor do they reflect a tone of mutual respect.聽

Please focus on ways to contribute in a positive way and avoid making intentional, disrespectful and unprovoked childish remarks on other posts when so far, you have failed to read/follow the posts properly and yet you comment from an uninformed place (based on the last 12-18 hours of some of your posts).

2 members reacted to this post

Enzyte Bob ViP

4299POSTS

5 years ago

#13

Calif-Native wrote:
Please focus on ways to contribute in a positive way and avoid making intentional, disrespectful and unprovoked childish remarks on other posts when so far, you have failed to read/follow the posts properly and yet you comment from an uninformed place (based on the last 12-18 hours of some of your posts).

I'm taking book on Nutinphark is an alias for Jesse777. Nutinphark bio says:聽聽I'M BACK.

bigpearl ViP

4326POSTS

5 years ago

#14

Nice to see you back Calif, even though we have had our moments it's always good to see a thinker here.
Bob, did he get booted? Was lucky I didn't given the B/S that transpired.
On topic we are smart phones and Globe at home, Cignal tv, all seems to work well, no buffering etc. No PLTD lines here,,,,,, we only just got a concrete road,,,,,,,,, and yes they keep fixing it.

To the OP it really depends on where you are going and expectations versus what you are prepared to pay. I think 15 or 1600 pesos for 130Gb internet and the phone I rarely use but 100 pesos lasts me for months, mostly use FaceTime, messenger or what's app for local and international. Globe at home is good if you tour around, chuck it in the car and plug in, works well.
Good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

Calif-Native VIP Member

510POSTS

5 years ago

#15

Hello Steve,

Even while traveling, there is not a week that goes by without my dropping in and reading many posts here.聽 I have not gone away but I am not always the first to respond.聽 There are some posts that are not welcoming and this should not be about which expat thinks they have the best answers or feels they are the most educated.聽 I have retained all of the documents along with related research list of laws I have used to help others, so it is easy for me to relate/respond to a few of the topics raised here.聽 I do get bothered by people that seem to drop in to put others down.聽 That is just my view.

4 members reacted to this post

mugtech ViP

4729POSTS

5 years ago

#16

Speaking of networks, strange things really happening right now in Ecuador.聽 Because of the covid19 emergency,聽 none of the networks are allowed to drop any clients for non-payment, so many are getting free WiFi.聽 The networks will be allowed to drop clients again in November, but many wonder how many will still be in business by then.

Enzyte Bob ViP

4299POSTS

5 years ago

#17

bigpearl wrote:
Bob, did he get booted? Was lucky I didn't given the B/S that transpired

I don't know if "Jesse777" was 86'd, but since he has no self control himself, the silence is deafening as聽 he has not responded. If he could have there would have been a insulting response.

As for for Nutinphark he has no self control also and left his calling card "Im Back"

So I'm willing to book any bets that Nutinphark is Jesse777.

Jesse777 being 86'd he can still read posts without being a member. Be prepared to see a third new member pop up and start the insults.

As per Calif-Native, it reminds me of an old television commercial: When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.

Welcome back Calif-Native, I'm listening.

nutinphark Banned

5POSTS

5 years ago

#18

***

Calif-Native VIP Member

510POSTS

5 years ago

#19

nutinphark wrote:
laying mystery to the new persona would hijack the thread .. Let's stay on topic as I do like to talk ADSL

Nutinphark,

My words to you were regrading forum decorum and rude comments to other expats, not thread hijacking.聽

Please identify which post is "on topic" regarding the connection you claim between ADSL and the post on WIFI?聽 I did not notice any posts related to ADSL.聽

Regarding ADSL - Are you referring to the very old Asymmetric digital subscriber line technology?聽 If so, please start a new thread on ASDL.

1 member reacted to this post

pnwcyclist Philippines Expert

1489POSTS

5 years ago

#20

I believe the OP's intention was with regard to phone network, ie Smart or Globe, but I believe they are long gone after 6 years and happy to participate in a聽 broadband discussion.

I have always used Globe for my cell phone network when in PI, with very few issues. We do find Smart works better (still) in the more rural areas of the province here on Cebu island, so she has both in her phone.

For the past 6 years we have primarily used PLDT for broadband (DSL) at home with very few issues, especially recently. As Calif mentions, it is pretty rock solid, at least where we are in Cebu City. That said, there was a period in 2018 when we had a move and tried Globe for the broadband, and it was a total disaster. The speed always got slow toward the end of the billing period, it would get cutoff for days at a time for non-payment when I always paid on time of course. We would have to go into the office in Ayala, and it was always some minor thing not paid, or a late penalty that shouldn't have been charged. I began to suspect that their CS reps were skimming or something. This happened 4-5 months in a row until I said enough and we switched back to PLDT. No problems since.

We currently have the base level Fiber option and as I recall we are getting a consistent 30-40 Mbps, or maybe better, for 1700p/mo.聽 It may be faster, need to run Speedcheck again.. It supports 3 kids with online zoom classes and our less demanding usage. Pay the bill online.