Up until recently, my mobile internet connection here in the Philippines have disappointed me miserably. I signed up for it because I marveled at the fact that i can bring my internet connection anywhere I go ( being a blogger, an internet connection is quite essential to your craft and a fast connection is a must).
It all started in March 2007 when i signed up for Globe Visibility after being launched a month back. At first it was awesome because there were probably a few of us at that time. The Connection was so fast, i downloaded every content i could think of and eventually forced me to buy 3 new external hard drives to store all of those files. Plus, the added convenience that you can log on to any Wiz Spot further added to my decision to avail of it.
But just like a marriage or courtship period, it has its honeymoon and stormy period. My connection problems started and gave me a head ache. They still billed me every month even if i cannot use their service. Every time i call a customer service rep, the replies are all the same. Number 1 is they are fixing something to improve the service. Man, it took them a very long time and i mean a very long time to figure it out. My guess is they did not anticipate that many people will avail of this product and the bandwidth allocation for this service diminished every time a new subscriber comes in.
I was getting hopeless. My projects and blogs were delayed.If not for the Unlimited WIZ access that comes with Visibility, i would have probably lost my mind. My expatriate friends have the same problems. we even joked about its name. Instead of being called Visibility, it should rather be Invisibility.
Moving on, in those agonizing months where i could not have a decent net connection, something happened. My connection was back to its usual speed and it was a welcome development. My sources told me that one of the reasons the problem persisted was due to the 3G signal and the cellular signals being bundled together. Because of this, both signals are stretched too thin because Makati ( the Philippines’ Central Business District) probably has one of the largest concentration of cellphone usage. My source further added that the turnaround that happened in February 2008 was due to the separation of those signals. Meaning 3G signals for internet connection got its own bandwidth while 3G signals for calls, text and value added services were also given their own.
After hearing her explanation, i felt relieved. But i could not figure out though why it took them 3/4 of a year to address this problem. Many precious hours wasted because of this. Well, I hope this wont happen again because i have plenty of stuff to write about. Globe’s mobile internet connection getting back on its feet and becoming visible again is truly a welcome development for us bloggers here in Philippines.