By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone (PLDT)’s WeRoam wireless Internet broadband service is supposed to make my work convenient and faster. But it has been more of a headache lately causing delays and inconvenience.
I experience good service usually before 12 midnight. It get around 60 kbps (kilobits per second) of wireless Internet speed but the wireless signal is weak. It is just teeny bit faster than dial up at a higher cost. A100-percent signal (based on the service’s indicator on the laptop) won’t even reach the promised 1.8 Mbps (megabits per second) speed.
PLDT and Smart are both boasting nationwide service coverage. But how come I am having signal problems in my area which is in Manila. I called the PLDT corporate customer care service (177) several times until they referred me to a WeRoam expert who admitted that I couldn’t use 3G (third-generation mobile service) in my area because of the “walled area” in Supreme Court and the Department of Justice. They said even users in the Office of the Chief Justice are complaining about their WeRoam connection.
They said they would be installing a hub inside the Supreme Court to resolve the 3G signal problems but that would take time. So I just had to rely on slower GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), which is what is usually available if WeRoam can’t deliver the promised 3G speeds. Fine, but it has been weeks now and my GPRS signal is nothing but annoying. Sometimes, I just couldn’t use my WeRoam. I would call the hotline. But no one could give me a straight answer. They promised to call me back but they didn’t.
Their promised of a strong, wireless, faster signal, is really no more than “so many feet of the blue sky.”
I started complaining about the service in 2007. At that time, I had problems with my 3G signal. Every time I called, they gave me a ticket number which they said would be the indicator of whether my complaint was resolved or not. If the ticket number was closed, it meant the complaint was resolved. They would always promise to call back and update me about my complaint. They didn’t.
I couldn’t call them every time I had problems and bombard them with my complaints. I later learned that they closed my ticket number after they assumed my complaint was resolved. But I was too busy at that time to do more follow-up calls. On the other hand, why do I have to call? I am a subscriber and isn’t it supposed to be their jobs to resolve my complaint within 24 to 48 hours?
Last May 14, I called the hotline again and, as usual, I was given a new ticket number: 378628. I told them not to close it until I am satisfied with my WeRoam service. For a few weeks, I was a bit satisfied with slight improvements because I could open my Gmail and do some work online. But my short-lived happiness was instantly gone when the service slowed down again. While I was able to use Gmail, I had no choice but use the “Gmail html version,” which is a version used when Internet speeds are slow. I also noticed an intermittent connection. The service was on and off — connected now but in a matter of minutes pfft, the signal drops.
My office has provided me with WeRoam to enable us to work from anywhere. (I’m a journalist covering the Justice beat). But the service proved to be inconvenient. I usually type my report from where I am on my laptop and send it via e-mail to the office. But since I often encounter bad signal in my area, I have to retype everything on my Blackberry and send it from this device. In my line of work, minutes or seconds of delay is really a big darn deal.
Four days ago, I called the “Smart NOC” who again supplied me ticket number and promised that an expert would call after 30 minutes to one hour. As usual, they didn’t. Again I called the PLDT Corporate Customer Service hotline the next day and was promised that a WeRoam expert would call me the following morning. Again, they didn’t.
Every time I called the Corporate Customer Service, they would give me the following answers:
- An expert will get to me as soon as possible
- Smart NOC is still following it up
- They are waiting for a response from Smart NOC (since I made my complaint last May)
- Smart NOC is still doing some “rolling on checking.” I don’t know what that is.
- The agent will apologize and tell me that all they can do is to take note my complaint
- They will tell me to refresh my wireless device (remove it from my laptop and remove the SIM –yes it works like a mobile phone– and then put it back in and then turn on my laptop). No change.
- They will tell me that probably my GlobeTrotter is corrupted and I have to remove it and reinstall it, which I did for several times. Nothing.
- They tell me to keep my WeRoam connected so that Smart NOC will be able to detect it which I did.
- They detected a signal of another user in another area.
And here’s an experience that tops it all: the agent from the Customer Care hotline told me that Smart NOC was checking my case. They gave me the Smart NOC number. Smart NOC told me that a team is doing the checking. To sum it up, there is the “177” hotline, the Smart NOC and another team, so which is which?
While I was doing this article, I called the hotline. The agent told me there was a new development. Sometime on Nov. 16, a certain “Leila” from the Smart NOC would reportedly give the update. Well, it was not clear if Leila would call me and give me the update or she would include the update on my ticket record. At this writing, I haven’t heard from Leila.
The agent from the hotline again promised that “Leila” would give an update but admitted there was no development in my earlier complaint. The agent also told me that he would note my complaint and promised someone would call me tomorrow morning. The cycle goes on and on and on. My office is currently paying for this service and yet we don’t get the service it promises.
25 Feedbacks on "Headaches of using PLDT WeRoam"
luis buenaventura
although i like that you are sharing your experiences, some copy-editing here and there wouldn’t hurt.
Trek Nepla
PLDT and Smart maybe bunch of con artist. I bought Smart Bro. My first 100 pesos was faster than dial up. After re-loading the speed went down by half the speed of dial up.
So why complain if they are so incompetent to provide you with international standard customer service.
Ramramram
Ditto… can’t even get 5mins straight signal. If you opt for PLDT DSL you’d also get the same lousy service. Since they have a virtual monopoly of service in some areas, they don’t have to improve their service and worry about the competition. The whole country should be a free-game zone for any telco who wants to give service. No more special treatment to PLDT.
oren_ishi
youre right folk. same darn thing happens to me also! Hope this article of yours be given proper attention.
Headaches of Using weroam « Life’s Chorva
[...] Published November 20, 2008 Daily Mishaps Tags: customer service, We Roam Headaches of using PLDT WeRoam [...]
AJ
Why dont you ask your office to try out Globe visibility instead? I heard from some of my officemates that it’s way better than WeRoam. They’re the ones that provide production support in our company, so I guess, they’d really know better than I.
dennis
I think its about time to change. When I am applying for a phone line I take PLDT at the bottom of my list because of this service. I think its about time they learn that they should not earn on something that they cannot give.
Raoul Recto
Its good I read this article was considering the service, so now I know its all BS…
Thank you for writing this article….
BTW they will not fix it…they have to spend millions to improve the speed.
paetechie
same old pldt…nothing’s changed
weedbreeder
I suggest you move to globe’s wireless broadband or smartbro mobile(although i don’t see any sense in doing this since its the same network). I had the same problem with weroam until i just gave up and moved to globe. So far so good.
Arnell
This is quite common. In this situation, it pays to act than complain. Vote with your wallet, as they say. Dump their service and move on. Look at the mobile phone industry. Since consumers can easily dump one provider for another, mobile phone companies have been working their butt to provide the best service to their customer. Mobile internet is not different. I believe you have survived before you received the WeRoam service?
Crlmiguel
same here…we cancelled our subscription..we paid so much expecting good internet connection,but we just wasted our money…now that most malls have free wifi service i bet this we roam thing will be history…sorry PLDT.
eman
Wireless Internet signals are often affected by many negative factors like interference from other signals and the many concrete walls that weakens the signal even more.
The only solution if you really want to keep your WeRoam is to compel PLDT to fulfill their promise of installing a hub inside the Supreme Court building.
A better option, but may not be easy since you have to convince the Supreme Court bldg admin to shoulder the expense, is by requesting them to install a WiFi router at strategic locations inside the bldg. That WiFi is connected to a broadband modem with at least a 1 mbps bandwidth. That will be good enough to support around 100 simultaneous users doing emails and chat. If you want video streaming then get a much higher bandwidth. It would cost around P30 thousand to complete the setup.
So you see, if you want to make it work and save your WeRoam account, then have PLDT expedite the installation of the “hub”.
eman
… to complement the WiFi access, make sure your laptop is WiFi-ready. If it’s not then there’s a WiFi card adapter available in the market now.
The WeRoam hub inside the Supreme Court simply brings the radio transmission inside the bldg which greatly lessens the effect of radio interference and the number of walls that it has to deal with.
Same theory with the WiFi router within the bldg.
I hope that helps.
eman
Another issue there is bandwidth congestion within the Manila service area of WeRoam. Try accessing WeRoam outside of the Supreme Court or somewhere around 3 blocks away from the SC. If you get the same performance, then better find another service provider…for the meantime until WeRoam’s bandwidth is “enhanced” by PLDT.
That would mean adding another transmitter or simply rehabilitating the line feeding the WeRoam transmitter serving SC area.
Nonetheless, I am basing my analysis from a limited data.
I had worked in a telco before that’s providing broadband Internet.
Have a nice day.
Kulasa
My sentiments goes with you. I purchased their prepaid kit inclusive of 3 months load. WHen the period elapsed, I went to every smart wireless center to reload my sim. They would tell me there was an error in their weroam reloading. For a month now. They were still trying to see the error in their system. I could not use my weroam anymore.
Lito Averia
I use SmartBro. Got it last June. Soon after, I filed a complaint and a series of other complaints between then and now.
Same do, different collar, I guess.
Raymund Madronero
Nice to know that I am not alone having this problem.
Jun
Guys, why dont your office apply for broadband or dsl, then setup a wifi network inside your office.. just my 2 cents
eman
All telcos and Internet access providers will always be concerned with maintaining signal (or service) quality as subscriptions go up. PLDT is overloaded while Globe and the rest are still reaching that. In the end, they too will get you the same headache. Unless, they spend more to circumvent that.
The idea is this; If PLDT cant improve on WeRoam service by any means at this time, then find a better provider and save yourself from raising your blood pressure. Dont go for long term subscriptions. Get a 6 month or shorter so you can move from one service provider to another.
The better solution is to compel SC to provide WiFi. Bandwidth can be increased as need arises but without disrupting your access since SC will simply the ISP to upgrade their bandwidth. No glitch at all. You’ll simply notice that the speed got better the next time to log in.
eman
correction:
The better solution is to compel SC to provide WiFi. Bandwidth can be increased as need arises but without disrupting your access since SC will simply ask their the ISP to upgrade their bandwidth. No glitch at all. You’ll simply notice that the speed got better the next time to log in.
ald
We’ll at least you can get through PLDt’s customer care…I can’t even get in touch with those people to file a complaint…their number so so so always busy! And they sell telephone services??? Please!
Winnie
I’m having this problem right now..!! Being the largest telephone company, how can their signal be this bad?!
Rowell
Tetch Torres, im experiencing the exact problem you had right now, same problem, same comments, same experience. We paid for corporate account and this is what we get!!! You posted your experience last 2008, it’s 2009 already and same problem.
rroy707
Globetrotter is a pcmcia based wireless card for Weroam. It was used in it’s early implementations.
I had that issue around the same time 2008. Our sales rep from PLDT advised me to terminate the service and then re-apply so that i would get the newer USB type WeRoam devices.
I’m the IT for our company we had around 4 weroam users. I had the usb type and there were very few issues with it - Huawei e220. For the rest they had the old Globetrotter pcmcia type.
Once we got the newer USB type problems solved.
But the thing i don’t like was why should be terminate the service then re-apply??
Should it be that they replace the unit if they know that there’s a lot of problem on the Globetrotter already?
Well that’s customer service for you.
I just went through it just so i could deliver the goods. Solve the problem immediately and ask questions later.
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