Internet Sticks - Globe Or Smartbro?

[i am bob]

Hey all!

With all the upgrades being done on the internet and wireless systems lately, I can't find a good answer in the older posts. So I need to ask... Which offers the better service when using an Internet Stick? This will be for my Special Someone who is on a restricted budget but would be using it for research (she is studying to be a Teacher and specializing in Special Education) as well as for our personal contact on her Netbook. Specifically I am looking average speed (does it bottom out a lot?), reliability, and overall if she would be satisfied with the service received.

Thanks for any info you can give!

Bob :tiphat:

[cebu rocks]

It depends are where you live its a line of sight deal some work better than others .... Some towers have better service . I can get from 2 mbps to 1 gig in 1 block ask next door what works

[MikeB]

I agree with above, there is a Globe tower very near where I live and I get surprisingly good speeds with my Tattoo stick. No comparison with a dedicated DSL or cable connection though. It's a good backup for the many blackouts and other outages.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I use both. Both have good days and bad, heck, good hours and bad. I was on my Globe Tattoo this morning but switched to Smart this afternoon. Pricewise, they are the same but different on the 'prepaid' plans. Smart has good deals for small data use and I like Globe for time packs.

I would not want to have just one.

[i am bob]

Thanks all!

I'll probably let her continue in leaning to Smartbro as she goes to (and lives near) Cebu Normal University with PLDT (Smartbro's paarent company) just down the street. I'm sure PLDT would want a good signal for their employees at the office! :)

[scott h]

use smart bro last march in metro manila, and boracay played internet games no problems at all. lost coverage in the hills of tagayatay though

[CebuAndy]

Depends of location - distance to tower - how many users share same tower - and Lady Luck.

Used both Smart and Globe usb dongle (P4.000) in 3 different areas in Cebu, Capitol Site - Lahug - Bacayan. Only in Bacayan, outskirts of Cebu, did I get speed more than Gprs speed 250/150. Advertisement for these usb dongles said speed up to 4000 kbps, in real life I hardly got 1/20 of that.

Reading tech/geek forum in Philippines, they recommend WiFi usb dongle (P6.000). Claimed to be much faster, and less users.

For those who really need high speed, rent a chair at a call center daytime. These centers only operate at nighttime for their US customers, so this is a option.

In comparison, Thailand used to have the same snail speed only 2 years ago - but today :

[Jim Sibbick]

Hey all!

With all the upgrades being done on the internet and wireless systems lately, I can't find a good answer in the older posts. So I need to ask... Which offers the better service when using an Internet Stick? This will be for my Special Someone who is on a restricted budget but would be using it for research (she is studying to be a Teacher and specializing in Special Education) as well as for our personal contact on her Netbook. Specifically I am looking average speed (does it bottom out a lot?), reliability, and overall if she would be satisfied with the service received.

Thanks for any info you can give!

Bob :tiphat:

No one here can tell you.

She will have to try both to see which is best for her.

Your reasons for using smart may actually be reasons for not using smart if there are a lot of people accessing at the same time.

I use Globe tattoo prepaid on Leyte. My usual way to use it is pay the P50 for 24 hours, on the days I want to use it. The speed varies a lot but the overall speed is acceptable to me. Just did a line test and the speed is 1.75mb down and .28mb up.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Jim Sibbick

[i am bob]

Thanks all!

I was hoping that, with the 4G networks coming online, the 3G networks would be less dense in traffic and thus make them a better choice for a student with a very limited budget and a very strong desire to become a teacher. As I said, she is on a very limited budget but is also very independent and proud - university is a family responsibility. As I am still in Canada, she considers my financial responsibility is to follow my original plan - pay off all my debts and then I can get my butt over to Cebu... Hers is to get through university and become a Teacher of children with disabilities. She is a very smart woman! I'm sure she will make a wise decision regarding which internet stick to go with. After all, she did chose me, did she not? OH NO!!!

:mocking:

[Dave Hounddriver]

a better choice for a student with a very limited budget

Some students with very limited budgets swear by Sun Broadband .

http://www.suncellular.com.ph/broadband_prepaid.php

I have not tried it but heard it works well in large centers like Cebu and is a less congested network than Smart and Globe. But they are all similar in my opinion.