Quote: (12-30-2013 10:18 AM)Mojorisin808 Wrote:
Quote: (12-29-2013 11:14 PM)DirectDanger Wrote:
The biggest problem is stability. I have the "up to" 10mbps on Sky Cable that I pay close to $90 a month for. I average at least 1 disconnection every day and sometimes have as many as 2 or 3. They can last anywhere from 1 minute to 20 minutes.
If you are an online poker player, day trader, or anything that really needs a steady connection you need to be cautious. If a connection randomly going down a few minutes is not a big deal for you then it shouldn't be a problem. I have noticed that my video conferencing calls have had trouble the last few weeks with its connections. I have had to resort to just audio calls sometimes.
From all my research the best connection you can get is FIBER from PLDT. It is going to cost a lot and is only available in select areas of Makati and the Fort. Second best choice is DSL by PLDT.
I went with Sky Cable for 2 reasons.
- 1 is it was already installed in my Condo and they could get me hooked up in a few days. PLDT would have to be installed and take at least 1 month.
- 2 Sky Cable allowed for an upgrade to 10 mbps with only a 6 month contract. PLDT required a 1 year.
I would say the internet is good enough that almost anyone who works online can get by here. Just be prepared for frustrations.
Bangkok Internet was faster and more stable than here in Manila.
Thanks guys, appreciate the info.
DD's advice is right on. I'll add a bit more from my experience here in Cebu.
One thing you have to beware of when you rent a Condo here is that the buildings generally have contracts with one provider. This makes it impossible or a pain in the ass to get service from a different provider if you want to. Case in point is DDs situation.
I just looked at a bunch of condos in the Fort and some of the best deals had Sky, which is reportedly the worst in the country. In fact one guy from Italy told me straight up the service is shit and wouldn't recommend working off the connection. Maybe he overstated that, don’t know.
So when you're looking at places make sure you're aware of which company provides the service.
From what I've learned from my employees who live here and living here myself is the PLDT is hands down the most reliable provider. In some areas of Manila and Cebu you can even get on their Fiber Network. My employees have 3mb DSL connections here in Cebu with PLDT and do live screen shares, remote desktops, etc., with customers at nearly a 100% success rate. Yes, sometimes it's slower, but generally a reset of the router bumps it back up and the up time is good (around Yolanda it was down often but that seems to all have been sorted).
I live in a building that has Globe DSL and the max I can get is 3mb. lol. But, it's a solid 3mb connection and I watch HD BBALL games, do Webex meetings, screen shares, etc., almost daily without issues. The biggest hold back for me is there’s a fucking 7GB daily limit. I work with sizable files often and have gone over a couple times.
To sum it up, if up-time is your biggest concern rent a place with PLDT and pay for the speed. They also have biz connection with guaranteed speeds too.
The internet in PI is slow as shit compared to most places but I believe it’s improving rapidly. The telecommunication industry was just deregulated in 1995 so these companies are still learning to provide service. From my understanding if it wasn't for that deregulation this country would still be the ‘sick man of Asia’ and not growing at 7% a year. Coupled with the local English abilities, that deregulation lead directly to the boom in BPO and the Philippines #1 ranking in voice related services. I know I wouldn't be here if it didn't happen.
Hope that helps.