By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
IT wasn’t too long ago when Globe Telecom was hyping HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) on laptops, which meant Internet anywhere you go — as long as there’s 3G coverage, of course. The same technology Globe is now selling for home use.
Instead of a little USB modem or PCMCIA card, this one uses a wireless HSDPA access terminal that looks like an ordinary wifi access point, which is connected to Globe’s cellular network. Data access alone (at 512 kbps “promised” speed) costs P995 a month; an optional landline makes it P1, 295.
Though Globe officials I talked to won’t admit it, this wireless broadband bundle clearly competes with Smart Bro by rival operator Smart (P995 monthly at 384 kbps according to Smart’s webpage). The obvious difference is you don’t need to hoist a receiver up your roof because unlike Smart Bro, HSDPA access does not require line of sight.
Eventually, every new technology available like HSDPA can promise broadband access, whether wired or wireless. What the consumer can hope for — short of excellent service — is network coverage.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
wala kaung kagaling galing.sa paniningil magaling kau…
August 30th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
[...] Tech Addicts : Smart Bro killer? [...]
September 1st, 2007 at 7:49 am
I would like to provide this link so that people may know.
http://www.smartwifi.org.ph/
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm
i agree otomi! magaling lang pag singilan na yang smartbro! kung magbigay pa ng rebate sobrang baba! few months ago, halos 3 weeks ago walang internet! yun rebate na nakuha ko 200+pesos lang! punyeta, 1 week na internet 700pesos?! eh yun bill ko sa postpaid umabot ng 1,800 sa pag iinternet nun 3 weeks na yun! at ang dahilan nila, hindi daw kasi ako tumatawag sa hotline para iupdate. so dapat pala araw araw tumatawag?! I HAVE A LIFE. GEESH! tapos nito few weeks ago naman tumatawag ako araw araw sabi hindi na daw kailangan tumawag araw-araw kasi nakarecord naman yun una kong tawag! punyeta smartbro bulok na bulok yun service nyo! pag nakapag apply ako sa globe broadband, gagawan ko pa kayo ng website SMARTBROSUCKSBIGTIME.COM
atska last month pala din, naiccharge ba naman ako ng smartbro ng collection fee kasi late DAW ako nagbayad eh yun totoo LATE NILA NAIREFLECT SA ACCOUNT KO! yun mga csr ng smartbro, walang pakinabang, hindi nakakatulong sa mga customer! walang alam kundi magtrouble shoot!
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Ya right!!! SmartBro-KEN SUCKS HARD!!!
September 5th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
THE WORST INTERNET CONNECTION and THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE - SMART BRO
September 6th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
hey, sobrang nakakabadtrip yang smartbro na yan!!!
asar..
i am currently receiving only 90 kbps… here in antipolo city!!! asar they promised 384..! napasubo ako.. tapos anlaki pa ng termination fee nila!
September 12th, 2007 at 7:38 am
globe is a good choice
globe is improving with their broadband lines.
kaya medyo madalas ang downtime nila ngayon
September 12th, 2007 at 11:20 am
chill-out, kids.
try to look behind the lines…..yun mga customer reps nila ay mga empleyado lang din so don’t blame them for the technicalities kasi ang mga may kasalanan talaga nyan ay:
1. Marketing - for making you all believe that they CAN give you the services they offer.
2. Engineering - for not being able to fix the glitches, upgrade their systems (which leads to next).
3. Accounting & Finance - for tightening the budget (hey - less expenses, more profit…..at the expense of you, the customers).
4. TOP Management - I’m not surprised with the kind of services the top local corporarions offer here in this godforsaken country of vultures, thieves, traitors, turncoats……ah, whatever you call them devil-reincarnates.
Next time, try to get a name from any of the above (most possibly, marketing & engineering) for accountability so you won’t have to rave against anyone who is faceless…..this is the logical thing to do. as for reps, i feel sorry for their job because it seems their department is the A$$ of any company.
peace.
September 14th, 2007 at 6:38 am
[...] Casiraya of Inquirer.net blogs about the Smart Bro killer. He was the one who tipped me about this ZTE HSDPA modem Globe is releasing soon during the last [...]
September 15th, 2007 at 7:52 am
[...] tip from Lawrence got me all curious about this alleged new HSDPA modem from Globe. A wireless landline plus [...]
September 16th, 2007 at 5:33 am
[...] just read news from lawrence casiraya of inquirer.net that globe will launch there new HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) modem [...]
September 26th, 2007 at 9:21 am
too bad we dont have globe broadband in our area. napasubo 2loy ako sa smartbro. ambagal. at lagi napuputol ung internet. nakakainis tlga. inconsistent din ang speed. max throughput ko 60kbps lng. kung alam ko lng sana nag dial up nlng sana ako. ndi dn pede ung email ko. i cant use my email 2/ outlook.
SMARTBRO
October 24th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
I HATE MY SMART BRO! sinungaling kayo jan sa SMART! ang sabi nyo eh upto 384 kbps! 31 KBPS ako ngayon for the past 4 days! Tapos kapal pa ng mukha nyong mag bill. I WILL DEFINITELY SWITCH MY CNXN TO A MUCH BETTER PROVIDER! SMART BRO SERVICE STINKS!!!
October 30th, 2007 at 10:56 am
I am currently a Globe hsdpa subscriber and I am very frustrated with it. Barely a month into the service, I have only enjoyed smooth speeds in excess of *gasp* 300kbps for about 20 percent of the time. The connection fluctuates several times in an hour which makes a lot of things difficult (read WOW) I get a lot of below 70 kbps readings and it’s their third f-ing week under maintainance.
I just got smart bro and it would be installed soon. I will be comparing them side by side. My Globe with MAX 3g signal and Smart Bro with full LOS. Stay tuned.
November 1st, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Mga Sir!!!
Sa totoo lang ok ang koneksyon ko for at least 2 and a half month……….. ang ayaw ko lang limitado ang pwede mong gawin sa Smart bro……………. d aku makapag host ng sarili kong website at iba pang mga bagay na kelangan ko……. puro lang sya sa gamming at unsatisfying download speed……
November 5th, 2007 at 1:14 am
dapat di kayo nagbayad ng termination FEE….. kasi…. Smart Bro ang di tumupad sa usapan to promise 384kbps(max)…….. mag switch na kayo sa iba na ang guaranteed speed ay minimum speed, hindi yung max ang ginagarantiyahan… Smart talaga ang smart pag dating dyan…. tinatanga nila ang mga inosenteng subscriber… kung Smart ang Smart… ako, Wise….
November 27th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
the reason your speed is too slow is depending on your location. Actually i got 3 accounts from smart bro and all of the three lines are working excellent. I have the the lines at bulacan, sta. mesa and cavite. Two of which is installed in a linksys router and all of the ten pc connected to each router is working very fast. Mga bro keep cool.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
hey guys!plan ko pa naman lumipat na sa smartbro wireless P799.I was currently globelines subscriber,and I pay P1,995 monthly but it’s good internet provider minsan nawawalan din pero sandali lang,then meron na uli.Ano advice nyo sa ‘kin.
December 22nd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
ang smart bro.. sobrang bagal… smart nga.. ang tagal at ang bagal ng kanilang adsl(kuno) 3m down speed pa raw.. pero inde naman…
alam ko yun dahil nag tatatrabho ako sa isang us based na ISP provider… bulok ang datingng signal…
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm
sana mawala na ang smart bro para ma-convince ko si erpats ko na lilipat sa globe broadband (ayaw ko mydsl, ang 3mbps nila ay 3000. Sa globe, 1995 lang ang kanilang 3mbps!)
January 4th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Hi Guys,
Please help! i want to get a wireless internet connection. My first choice was PLDT but in our place they do not have avail slot. The same with Globe…
January 8th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
SMART BRO? ay SMART SLO pala, sabi nila SMART BRO is 7x faster than dial up, sa totoo lang SMART SLO is 7x SLOWER than dial up, SUPER BAGAL GRABE!!! nagbabayad kami ng tama bakit di nyo maibigay ang tamang serbisyo…
February 9th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
*edit*
@ms.lea: NEVER ever switch to smart bro. They guarantee you 90% poor service. My friend also had that P799.00 per month wi-fi thingy… and he says he regrets it. Yes, you are able to access the net wherever you are… but the connection is fluctuating. You get poor signal…especially when you’re far from the center. The P799.00 plan is only for people who travel a lot and only wanted to look at light websites (sites with little images, videos, etc.).
April 15th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Edward said “ang smart bro.. sobrang bagal… smart nga.. ang tagal at ang bagal ng kanilang adsl(kuno) 3m down speed pa raw.. pero inde naman…
alam ko yun dahil nag tatatrabho ako sa isang us based na ISP provider… bulok ang datingng signal…”
Maniniwala na sana ako kaso medyo may kunting kasinungalingan dito….
Idaan na lang kaya natin sa tanong…. ADSL ba ang smart Bro? owww? ADSL nga kaya? Baka Bayantel ang tinutukoy lhmmmmm
April 28th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Isa ako sa mga pinaka unang kumuha ng Smart Bro nung lumabas siya at wala naman akong naranasan na kabagalan ng internet speed. Hindi ko alam kung bakit kayo galit na galit sa smart. I think it all depends kung saan kayo naka-locate. That’s all I can say for this matter. Thanks. More Power to Smart Bro.
May 25th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
christopher definetly kissing the smart bro’s ass smart bro has the record braking complains every where. i got a speed now of 49.60 kbps wow is that the 7X faster in dial
up? wow so the speed of dial up is -00 kbps?
damn what a big lie
June 21st, 2008 at 10:31 am
SMART Bro: My Ball Breaker for the Morning…
Yes SMART Bro is my ball breaker for the morning and I will tell you why in a bit, but before anything else, my apologies to the thousands (as if) of readers of my blog.. ok there might really be just a couple.. I have not been blogging much recently, …