SINGAPORE–As usual, being in Singapore has reminded me how unfortunate we Filipinos are when it comes to our information technology infrastructure.
Frankly, I don’t know how our telcos do it. I don’t how, year after year, they can get away with providing us with lousy service while still raking in money. While the availability and affordability of broadband has, to be fair, improved over the years, it doesn’t change the fact that what passes for broadband in the Philippines is laughable by the standards of other countries, such as Singapore. And forget quality of service — if all the horror stories we hear about the quality of broadband in certain areas are anything to go by, even when we part with our hard-earned money, we’re never really sure just what kind of service we’ll get, depending on which area we happen to reside.
So why do telcos get away with providing broadband services that are sometimes much slower than dial-up connections? Why are we consumers expected to grin and bear it if the service in our area is horrible due to some technical problem or lack of adequate coverage?
And to think of all the money they spend on glowing ads that tout how cutting-edge their technology is and how much they’re improving the lives of Filipinos. How many Smart Bro users out there feel like puking whenever they see those ads claiming that this service is the “broadband ng bayan”? Where exactly are these areas where Smart Bro actually has speeds that qualify as broadband? And if you’re one of those users who doesn’t get to enjoy these speeds, sorry ka na lang ba. tiis na lang?
You hear horror stories about all broadband services in the Philippines, whether it’s from PLDT, Globe, Destiny, whatever, that you start wondering if availing of these services in the Philippines is a crapshoot, a game of chance, only we keep ending up with crap.
So what’s the solution to finally ensuring that Filipinos won’t have to put up with shitty service? Is it finally time to get rid of the service area scheme, because quite frankly, I’d like to have as many choices as I can — if only to get the lesser evil. How much are telcos actually investing in their infrastructure?
It’s a pity, because we Filipinos do have world-class talents and skills. We can compete with the best of them when it comes to creativity. But unlike Singapore and countries more blessed than we are, we’re held back by private companies that keep dropping the ball when it comes to infrastructure — and a government that keeps letting them get away with it.
So tell me, who’s your broadband provider, and what’s your horror story?
June 27th, 2007 at 8:50 am
[...] @play: Do we actually have broadband in RP? [...]
June 27th, 2007 at 8:08 am
In the USA 200 kilobits per second is defined as already broadband. The Philippines is not really far off in terms of speed. I think the problem over there is unreliable service. The Filipinos only recourse is to complain and complain until you get the proper service.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:31 am
In my office, we were supposed to have a T1 connection… but I don’t feel it’s a T1 at all. We only have 9 PCs to share with it.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
i got connected with the globelines broadband at my residence in leyte last september of 2006. from the start of its connection until now i havn’t taste a better service. it’s good if i can use continuously the broadband for 1 straight hour. on - off - on - off - on - off. that’s what they call DSL. they’re good in advertisement. SH_T!!!
June 26th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
It doesn’t make me feel better about the service that I have especially we have all these Filipinos abroad who keep insinuating that our service is inferior. My family uses Smart Bro in the province and so far it’s doing ok. I used PLDT when I was in Cebu and I was able to surf, download and watch streaming videos without any problems.
I don’t know about that 100 Mbps that a lot of you have mentioned, but I noticed that it’s the “regular” speed I’m getting when I check the speed of my connection. I don’t think it’s an accurate representation of the actual connection that I have, however. Has anyone tried to use any of the free online tools that can help gauge your actual speed?
I have to agree that there’s so much more left to be desired with what we’re getting. Customer service sucks for one, and the hidden/extra charges are quite preposterous. But then, those who are abroad and boast of excellent connection may just be keeping from you the bad side of their service. Speaking as a former call center agent for a DSL provider in the U.S., they also have crappy service in many of their areas. Check some forums. They do complain about the same things as we do: speed, charges, crappy customer service…
Personally, I’m happy that I can go online at a decent speed. If our telcos can improve it, make it more affordable and give us better customer service, I will be a much happier camper.