Best Island For Good Stable Land-Line Internet?

[jon1]

Another thing, if you end up in a Condo, typically you will have only one choice (unless you go with the 3G pocket wifi) of a provider that has been contracted for that building. Some are OK some not so. Also, if you go with DSL in a Condo unit, make sure that you leave a POTS phone hanging off of the copper. I was using a cordless phone and we would turn it off when we left for the weekends, when we returned we would have no internet. It turns out that the Techs would search for an unused pair of wires and tap into it for a new install or repair job (no labels on the pairs of subscribers). Every time that they came to my unit they had to use a Fox and Hound tester to find where my copper was on the patch panel (again not labeled). It typically took them 2 days to respond to fix their f***up. This was in Eastwood City (where there are several Call Centers), which is in Quezon City on the C5. Studio units there were going for 20K about 3 years ago. Eastwood was good as it was pretty much self sufficient; restaurants, bars, 2 malls, bowling alley, movie theaters and now has a grocery store. Plenty of expats there (the Call Centers) but it is in Metro Manila with lots of pollution. You will have to wash out your A/C every month (gets filled with black soot) and is really not a healthy place to live.

 

Another typical Reason For Outage is DNS outages. Since, I have been using the google DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) on my wireless router it has helped significantly. There are still routing issues at times (poor network design and oversubscription) especially in Manila. I believe that Subic is feeding off of Clark (Comcast has their own Satellite Gateway) also as we had one outage due to a Fiber cut between Clark and Subic. 

[Americano]

Mr. El,

 

As some have already told you its possible to get a higher speed than 3mbps but of course it will cost more. I believe I can get up to 5 mbps where I live with Globe and higher speeds is available with PLDT here too but I chose 3mbps because its fast enough to operate Skype, play YouTube videos and even movies so I don't need a faster speed. 

 

I have a friend who is from Canada. He was a pig farmer out in the woods were no Internet was available when he decided to teach English on-line for extra income. He got a contract to teach English to professionals in China so he would come into the city when it was time to teach his on-line class. He was using a Smart Bro  wireless service which was less than 1mbps but still fast enough for him. I believe he only paid about P500 per month for Smart Bro service. He would sit at an outdoor restaurant with his headset on conducting the class. The restaurant welcomed him because he would eat and drink there sometimes.

 

A few months ago an American who lives even farther away in the same direction told me that Globe 4G works good in his area now, but I don't know what speed he is getting. I don't believe your Internet speed for teaching English and providing customer service has to be very fast but you know more about that than me.

[El Negrito]

As some have already told you its possible to get a higher speed than 3mbps but of course it will cost more. I believe I can get up to 5 mbps where I live with Globe and higher speeds is available with PLDT here too but I chose 3mbps because its fast enough to operate Skype, play YouTube videos and even movies so I don't need a faster speed. 

 

Thanks again Americano, you and others have more than adequately answered this question for me but if any one knows or hears of any deals or specifically stable areas they would like to recommend then that is welcome too.

 

Much like you I think 3mbps would suffice but I think I would pay for the 5mbps since that is what I have had so far and even that has caused me problems at times. Not so much the speed but the stability, you know packet loss and such. With a 3mbps line I fear it could be worse. At any rate seems like I should be able to find what I need there.

 

Thanks so much!

[MikeB]

A few months ago an American who lives even farther away in the same direction told me that Globe 4G works good in his area now, but I don't know what speed he is getting.

There is Globe 4g in Carcar but it's spotty. I get it sometimes, sometimes I don't. No idea where the tower is.

No matter where you live or what kind of connection you get, you need at least one backup. You'll curse a lot less.

[El Negrito]

There is Globe 4g in Carcar but it's spotty. I get it sometimes, sometimes I don't. No idea where the tower is. No matter where you live you need at least one backup to the main connection. You'll curse a lot less.

 

No wireless or cell, for work I need a hard land-line. that being said I may use WiFi for my back up. I am thinking of getting a good 4G carrier for my phone (or two, dual sim) and then using that as a hot spot when for back up.

[Americano]

I think you are worrying about Internet too much when there is always a way to have Internet if you really need it. In the almost 5 years I have been living here I had Internet in my home well over 95% of the time and if I really needed it to do something important like transfer some money I simply went somewhere that had Wifi and used my laptop.  By the way, I think it hasn't been mentioned but many hotels have Wifi that you can use for free when you are a guest. It may not work so good in your room but usually its fine in the lobby or waiting area where you could still teach your English class using a headset. Most places in the Philippines do not have strict rules like some other countries. This is one of the things that I like about living here.

[El Negrito]

I think you are worrying about Internet too much when there is always a way to have Internet if you really need it.

 

Yeah I did the same before moving to Mexico. Measure twice, cut once.

 

usually its fine in the lobby or waiting area where you could still teach your English class using a headset.

 

No can do. Need no noise and clean white wall in the back ground. Company rules.

[alsuave]

I don't know how you guys can deal with the sluggish internet speeds. I have 10mbps and I want to pull my hair out every time I need to get something done online (which is pretty much all day every day). I wish I could convince my wife to move to Singapore.

Edited September 3, 2014 by alsuave

[Alby]

In the Philippines it don't matter what telecom company you use or what speed they 'promise' it is. It all depends on your location coz they all can't deliver for one reason or another so, have two ways or more of getting Internet.

I suggest the hotspot idea with its unlimited plan plus a wired DSL one.

Stay close to a window with the hotspot !

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