SMART BROADBAND
A recent speed test conducted by an independent professional engineering service, NESIC, showed that Smart Bro got better results, over-all. See some of the findings of the tests below.
The tests were conducted from July 4 to 6, 2011 in 100 test locations nationwide. The results were shared to members of the media during lunch today with reps from NESIC and Smart answering questions from the press.
The tool used to measure the data was Speedtest.net and the text server is located in San Francisco, USA (SF Monkey Brains server). Average speed test is taken from a sample of 5 tests.
Here’s the summary of the test done by NESIC:
- Smart is faster in 99 of the 100 test locations.
- 2.66Mbps highest peak speed for SmartBro (tested in Plantation Bay Resort)
- 1.23Mbps peak speed average for Smart Bro vs. 0.23Mbps of Globe Tattoo
- Average of 1Mbps faster in 47 of 100 locations.
- Average of 1.5Mbps faster in locations.
- Cebu has highest average speed difference of 1.38Mbps vs. Globe Tattoo
- Tondo, Manila has highest average speed difference of 2.29Mbps vs. Globe Tattoo.
Globe actually beat Smart Bro in only 1 of the 100 test locations (that’s at the Matutina Restaurant in Dagupan).
Smart’s network has been upgraded to HSPA+ as well with 3,116 base stations on HSPA 7.2Mbps and 154 base stations on HSPA+ 21Mbps.
It is interesting to note that NESIC was also used by Globe Telecom to do a similar test in 2009 (see our Globe-NESIC story here).
Smart BRO PREPAID, the newest Smart Bro broadband internet service that allows you to surf the net anywhere there’s a PC! Absolutely no Monthly Service Fee since it’s prepaid! The Smart BRO USB modem is a small, palm-sized device that you can carry with you wherever you go. And anytime you need to surf, just plug it into the USB port of your PC, and you’ll get connected in a flash. Total initial payment is P995 with FREE 5 Hours of internet surfing. Broadband Internet use is P10 for every 30 minutes. If you activate your BRO SIM card from September 13 - October 31, 2009, you'll get free P200 load credited to your account within 48 hours!
Smart Bro technical support. I was at work and I had my girlfriend who was at home to re complain about the loss of my home internet connection. They made her look up stuff and found out something about my local IP address was wrong. Their solution? They told my girlfriend to upgrade my OS. What the fuck?!? Aside from the OS having no bearing on what my IP address is because I obtain my address automatically from the router antenna they installed, they have the nerve to tell me that I need to upgrade my Windows XP?!? They should be shot, stoned, flayed, and burned alive.
I called the support line myself and made my feelings on their response very clear. Now they tell me that my antenna may not be pointing to the base station; they think it might have been messed with somehow. My theory is those damn cats always running on my roof are to blame. Now, if those idiots at Smart just said something like this before then it would have saved me some time to get it fixed.
Prepaid price of modems and dongles
P995 (and P1,195 for those with special UAAP, NCAA designs)
SUN CELLULAR BROADBAND
Based solely on their announced rates and services, the wisest choice for Metro Manila is Sun Broadband Wireless, whether prepaid or postpaid. Its P888 modem price is already a steal. Heavy prepaid users can enjoy unlimited internet for just P50 a day. The Easy Broadband 799 meanwhile is the best postpaid offering in the metropolis for providing unlimited internet for just P799 a month, and for having no cumbersome credit checks and long list of requirements.
For the highly mobile Metro Manilans who go out of the metropolis often and those who live elsewhere in our archipelago, the best choice appears to be Smart prepaid and postpaid.
Up to 2 mbps (prepaid and postpaid Plans 799, 649),
Up to 3 mbps (postpaid Plan 1399)
Claimed coverage
Metro Manila (3G, HSDPA, EDGE or GSM)
and Nationwide (EDGE, GSM)
Prepaid price of modems and dongles
P888 GLOBE TATTOO
Very light users may find Globe a bit attractive but that is based only on the rate offers. Take note though that service issues (like proximity to cellsites and base stations, signal strength, available internet speeds and density of users in a particular area) may affect web surfing and may actually take someone a time longer than 15 minutes to check email.Promised speeds
Up to 2 mbps (prepaid and postpaid)
Coverage
Globe and Smart obviously have an edge over Sun in terms of nationwide 3G and 3.5G coverage. But Sun is reportedly rolling out coverage outside of Metro Manila with subscribers independently claiming that they could get 3G and 3.5G signals already in parts of Bulacan and Cavite.
Prepaid price of modems and dongles
P995 (and P1,195 for those with special UAAP, NCAA designs)
