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 29th, 2007 at 8:46 am
your article mentioned about your broadband experience in Singapore and broadband standards, you should present comparative facts and figure of broadband providers (locals & standards if any) so the readers can better accept your allegations.
June 29th, 2007 at 3:31 am
dear bros. actually phil not lagged behind,, thre are almost two hundred countries , and phil is in top 50 in internet con, go to india and some middle east countreis and africa,, or even in veitnam , and see how there internet working,, mamatay kau sa highblood try nu din maginternet sa bangladesh at pakistan and eastern europe,, and you will appreciate internet in the phillippines..kung gusto mo wala internet mamuhay ka sa myanmmar at bhutan o kaya sa tibet .. will regarding adds,, will no bodys perfect,, if they intend ,, dont worry they will pay in due time….. rol california dude
June 28th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
I have ComClark for my broadband provider in The Philippines. They have always been reliable and very little downtime, even compared to my US broadband provider, Time Warner. The only drawback is customer service. I guess thats my gripe for every Philippine business. Try emailing a Philippine business to inquire information or to file a complaint, you’ll get the run around like no other. That’s if you even get a reply at all. ComClark has also land line and cell numbers you can call for customer service. One number doesn’t work. The other one I called, someone answered the phone as “Hello? Who is this?” LOL, only in The Philippines.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
[...] @play: Do we actually have broadband in RP? [...]
June 28th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
DigitelOne sucks big time! I went thru each post here, and I agree that the government should really step up efforts to have these ISPs clean up their act. We’re not getting our money’s worth. i live in the province and I’m paying well over P2,000 for a 512kbps service, sure I get 420kbps on good days but I cannot count how many times I’ve called their Customer Service hotline to complain. When will the gov’t or NTC/DOTC for that matter or whatever gov’t agency who’s driving a red plate ever get these ISPs to fix these problems once and for all? Slow connections, drop connections, high CRCs, line attenuation problems…? come on guys, you’re getting paid aren’t you? Why don’t we have a LAW against these slackers? Para saan pa yung opisina niyo kung marami na kayong natatanggap na complaints, pero walang action?