Of all the memorable quotes and insights Jack Ma shared during his recent trip to the country, almost all the publications shared a favorite line: “Philippine Internet… it’s no good.”
The founder of the Alibaba Group made his first business venture in the Philippines with a deal with Globe Telecom Inc., noting the need for improved Internet services in the country as he expressed disappointment over the country’s Internet services. “I arrived late last night and I tried to test the speed of Philippine Internet. It’s no good.”
While the spokesmen of both telcos acknowledged there’s still much to be done to improve Internet services in the Philippines, they also emphasized the need for the government’s involvement to help turn slow, costly Internet around.
“We know there’s still a lot of room for improvement insofar as Internet services are concerned. However, even a man of stature like Jack Ma understands that government and private sector need to work together to improve services,” Globe Senior Vice President for corporate communications Yolanda Crisanto was quoted in a news article.
Ramon Isberto, PLDT spokesman then said, “We have been working very hard and investing heavily to improve the quality of our Internet services. Although we still have much to do, these efforts have started to pay off.”
In a report done by Akamai Technologies about the Global State of the Internet Report, the Philippines was found to have slowest average Internet speed in Asia Pacific.
Although there was an improvement, the average connection speed is just 5.5 Mbps, falling short of the global average Internet connection speed of 7.2 Mbps.
Globe’s Crisanto then urged the government to cut red tape so the telcos could speed up the implementation of its network rollout plan. “We have been calling for government support to ease permitting issues in order to build more infrastructure like cellsites, which we need.”
FAST Internet NOW
But it’s not just the two telcos that are working hard to improve the Internet in the country.
NOW Corp., known for its Fiber Air service, recently entered the residential market to provide fast and reliable broadband services.
What makes their service unique is that they have a guaranteed and committed minimum speed for highly demanding enterprise clients.
The Philippine Stock Exchange-listed technology, media and telecom company decided to expand to the residential areas in response to clamor from enterprise users whose families consume enormous bandwidth for their personal, educational, entertainment and other needs.
“One important thing we learned for the past 12 months of operation is that families now require enterprise-grade quality of Internet experience,” said Kristian Pura, head of business development.
The delivery of Fiber Air to homes will help deliver over-the-top products, such as movies and television programs that require minimum throughput, and with NOW’s reliable services, absolutely without data cap.
Apart from its broadband services, NOW is known as an information-technology (IT) company delivering software systems and IT-managed services to top banks, such as BDO, Philippine National Bank, the industry’s regulator, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, as well as other government agencies and branches like the Supreme Court. The company is now implementing the P57-million contract on the e-mail and collaboration system of the Supreme Court.
“The strength of our company is our IT competence, which enables us to ensure superior connectivity to highly demanding enterprise customers, who, in turn, want their families to also enjoy the high-quality Internet experience from NOW,” Pura added.
The first residential area that has been activated is Corinthian Village in Quezon City, whose residents may now avail themselves of the high-quality Internet services enjoyed by educational institutions, media companies, hospitals, government agencies and buildings with small and medium enterprises and large enterprises as tenants.
Because NOW is using wireless technology, new residential areas would be quickly added into its network. A special feature of this business will allow residents to also make money. NOW partners with home buddies who would represent the company in their respective buildings and subdivisions. As sales partners, they will earn money through commissions and enjoy free broadband, as well.
NOW counts some of the biggest firms in the country as its broadband clients. Among its recently connected broadband customers include the Sogo Hotel Group, which has a chain of hotel establishments in Metro Manila; Marco Polo in Ortigas; WorkHaven, a coworking space in Linden Suites; Manila Broadcasting Corp. in Pasay City; and STI campus in Bonifacio Global City.
ITS ALL ABOUT THE BASS (PH)
If you are wondering just how fast (or slow) your Internet speed really is, there’s now an app, called BASS, which lets you determine the quality of Internet available in your area.
BASS PH, or Project Bass, which means “Bandwidth and Signal Statistics,” is an accurate and credible independent Internet-measurement provider. It seeks to provide Internet users the ability to measure Internet bandwidth and other statistics and use a virtual map to help them see which telecommunications provider has the fastest Internet connection where they live or work.
To check the speed of Internet, just download BASS PH from Google Play or App Store and simply tap “Begin Test” to measure your connection speed. Then, by viewing the map, users will be able to see the test results of BASS users in a particular area.
“With BASS PH, we help empower smartphone users in the Philippines by giving them the tool to measure and, log Internet speeds. We hope this, in turn, will ensure that network providers in the country will efficiently and consistently deliver their advertised Internet speeds and thus, will pave the way to better Internet service nationwide,” explains Wilson Chua of Bass PH.
Telecommunications companies benefit from the collected data since they can now make data-driven decisions as to expansion areas to target. They can also reallocate resources, such as bandwidth and frequency to areas that need it most.
For phone manufacturers, they can also access information with regards to the performance of their phone units during actual usage and compare these with competitors. This can result to the manufacture of more efficient and better-performing phones in the future.
As for companies with businesses in the digital world, the BASS PH map can help them identify specific target areas with high Internet activity and concentrate their digital product offerings there. Finally, BASS PH can help the government guard and protect the public against any possible fraud using BASS PH’s free, supplemental, third-party data.
For more information about BASS PH, visit projectbass.org.
SHOULD YOU GO FOR A ‘SMART’ IPHONE X?
After weeks of eager anticipation, Smart finally revealed its postpaid plans for the iPhone X, which was scheduled to launch on December 1. You can get the device for free at P3,199 per month for 24 months. This includes your monthly device amortization of P1,700 and Plan 1499, which includes 9 GB data, unlimited texts to all networks, 60 minutes of calls to all networks and free access to the app of your choice every month, plus one month Gadget Shield.
It may seem a bit high at first, but you might want to consider these reasons its better to sign up with Smart to get your iPhone X this Christmas:
LOWER MONTHLY CASH OUT—Smart makes it easier for you to own the iPhone X as the P3,199 per month is already inclusive of data, calls and text services.
Moreover, you can have your monthly device fee charged to your monthly bill at the get-go for greater convenience. So you don’t have to worry about a huge initial cash-out payment, or produce select credit cards. You can also choose to go with P3,499 per month, which includes a lower monthly device amortization of Php1,400 and Plan 1999, that includes 12 GB data, unlimited texts to all networks, 70 minutes of calls to all networks, and free access to the app of your choice every month, plus 1 month Gadget Shield.
FASTEST LTE IN THE PHL—What’s the use of having an excellent phone if you couldn’t upload your photos because of poor Internet signal. Smart lets you optimize the iPhone X by delivering the country’s fastest LTE connection (according to independent tech firm OpenSignal).
POWER MAC DISCOUNTS—Since you’d probably be getting some nice accessories for your iPhone X, signing up with Smart will give you a 15-percent discount on select iPhone X accessories at Power Mac. You can avail yourself of this offer if you order from Smart from now until December 31. And you can redeem your discount until March 1, 2018.
FREE WIRELESS CHARGER—You know you want one right? So if your preorder at the Smart Online Store or select Smart Stores is approved, you get a free Belkin Wireless Charger.
HUAWEI NOVA 2I NOW IN BLUE
IPhone X too much for you? Then you might want to get the new Aurora Blue-colored Huawei Nova 2i. Packed with a quadruple camera, a 5.9” Full View display, and a long-lasting battery life for only P14,990, Huawei Nova 2i is your go-to ultra-stylish phone whether you’re a selfie lover, an aspiring photographer or avid gamer.
The limited-edition Nova 2i in Aurora Blue will be available in select Huawei Concept Stores nationwide starting on December 2.
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Tech Thoughts: “We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.”—Stephen Hawking