Techie
4:10 AM | Saturday | 13 March 2010

Last year, I jotted down some thoughts inspired by the frustration of all these telco speed tests. There's obviously a war for the "fastest Internet" available in the country, and it seems as if the only losers are the customers who actually believe all the advertising b*llshit.

Fact: There is not one consistently fast local Internet-service provider.

A lot of things should be taken into consideration when looking for an Internet provider, whether it be mobile or fixed. Where you frequent or where you live is probably the primary consideration. If you live in a more clustered area of the metropolis, Internet may be slower (i.e. cable Internet) which is why cable Internet subscription highly depends on the number of users around the area. SkyCable, for instance, caps usage to a certain number of subscribers – they actually make you wait before you get your line installed. And this, I appreciate. Better to be transparent than to be greedy.

Mobile Internet should be, in my humble opinion, the last thing on your geek list. As much as possible, you should settle for Wi-Fi, because we live in a country where our Wi-Fi infrastructure has been privatized by coffee shops and malls. SM Malls have free Wi-Fi. So does Robinsons Galleria.  

If you're on Smart Gold, apply for the P100-a-month fee for unlimited Airborne Access connectivity that is still supported in a number of stores. If you're on Globe, you can get Wi-Fi delivered at any Ayala Mall. 

Also, if you have a preference for email, do consider Smart's Nokia Messaging (yes, as of now, it only works with Smart). For P299 a month, you get unlimited email (up to two emails) delivered into a Nokia Messaging-compatible phone such as the E63, E75, E72, and E71. If not, get a BlackBerry. 

If you really must buy a wireless dongle (i.e. Smart Bro, Sun Broadband Wireless, and/or Globe Tattoo), then realize that this will fail to deliver at one point. There is no perfect dongle – you bought a dumbed-down cellphone. And just like any other cellphone, you can always have it opened in Greenhills and insert any SIM card depending on who's functioning better. As a consumer, you're entitled to choice. If none can consistently deliver, it would be best to have three SIM cards with you at all times for your dongle. Of course, this voids your warranty altogether.

Bottomline: There is no "best" ISP. Don't be fooled. At most, our Internet is "competent." As a result, build your hardware and services around places you frequent. If you really want good Internet, buy yourself a satellite dish for your backyard. Get 10 or so friends to help you with the costs so you can share access with them.