Good thing is that PLDT DSL’s WatchPad feature is already capable of allowing its subscribers to watch a Manny Pacquiao fight online hassle-free. This broadband internet service offers fast internet connection that it is indeed possible to watch high-definition video streaming of most cable channels. Thousands of PLDT DSL subscribers already know that, and are often the source of text messages revealing the outcome of a Manny Pacquiao fight ahead of the local terrestrial broadcast (that is often bleeding so much with advertisements).

On the other hand, another good means to watch a Manny Paquiao live is through Globe’s Wimax service, although we have a number of caveats for that. One, Globe Tattoo Wimax does not have any ready-made software like that of PLDT DSL’s Watchpad. And another: you will have to apply first to have Speed Boost on your account to be able to seamlessly watch live video streaming if you happen to find any website that allows this.

The verdict, of course, is obvious: PLDT DSL offers an easy and ready means for online users to watch any Manny Pacquiao fight online live. While Globe Tattoo Wimax (no thanks to its Fair Usage Policy aka bandwidth capping) still needs some adjustment to ensure that you will be able to have some good quality viewing experience in watching the boxing match, but only if you activate its new Speed Boost add-on (call 211 using your Globe mobile phone for more info about this).

Globe Tattoo: Lock-in Period, No-strings-attached 1-month Trial

Even at the outset, Globe Philippines’ Wimax offering, now called Globe Tattoo, seems superior to Smart Broadband, primarily because Globe has the balls to offer new subscribers a one month trial—if you’re not satisfied with the service after one month, you can easily have it discontinued, no strings attached. If you do decide to continue with the service, the lock-in period is only 12 months.

On the other hand, Smart Broadband (Smart Bro) does not offer any trial period and requires you to sign up and agree to its terms at the outset. Moreover, its lock-in period is also 24 months (two years), which means if somehow you find that the service is less than satisfactory, you cannot easily have it discontinued without paying hefty disconnection charges.

Bandwidth Capping: The Darned Fair Usage Policy

Perhaps the most common gripe by consumers regarding both companies’ broadband internet service is the bandwidth capping: if you have downloaded a specific amount of data (in GB) in a month, your connection speed (as mandated by law and approved by the NTC) will slow down until the capping is refreshed in the following month.

The thing is, usually, the marketers of Smart Bro and Globe Tattoo are not actually very explicit regarding the existence of the Fair Use Policy (FUP). They will highlight the speed, the ease of use, and other features of the said Wimax-based internet services, but they won’t mention anything about the bandwidth capping. That’s why in a month or two, subscribers begin flooding the customer service hotlines complaining about the “deteriorating connection speed,” only to be informed that such degradation is “normal.”

It is important to note, however, that wired broadband internet services (such as DSL and cable) are not covered by any bandwidth capping and are the only ones that are truly “unlimited” in every sense of the word.

How to Speed up your Globe Tattoo Wimax thru Speed Boost

For such a reason, ever since these wireless internet service were introduced, there has been a growing number of people who rant on internet forums about the “sucky-ness” of these services.

Fortunately, at least with Globe Philippines, we’re seeing one solution: Globe Tattoo Speed Boost.

Speed Boost is an add-on to your Globe Tattoo wireless internet account, enabling you to experience an increase of 1 MBPS to your internet speed four hours each day, the schedule of which depends on what you choose (daytime, night time, or insomniac). If you have an existing 1 MBPS Globe Tattoo Wimax , Speed Boost means you will enjoy 2 MBPS of fast internet connection four hours a day.

Not only that, adding Speed Boost to your Globe account also activates its new FUP—now, the FUP is recalculated and refreshed everyday at midnight, instead of the old method of monthly refreshes. Moreover, the bandwidth cap has been increased from 25 GB to 90 GB a month—which should be more than enough to satisfy even the heaviest of downloaders.

On the other hand, we have yet to hear anything from Globe Philippines rival Smart Bro or Wi-Tribe or any of those minor players in the local broadband internet service industry. We still await further developments, and expect to find the latest updates here the moment something is rolled out.

However, with Globe Philippines’ introduction of its new Speed Boost feature for both its Wimax (wireless) and DSL (wired) broadband internet services, it seems Globe is overtaking its fiercest rival in providing better service.

Complaints Against Globe Wimax: Bandwidth Capping

If you’d ask majority of those who have been subscribers of Globe Philippines’ Globe Tattoo Wimax (or just Wimax before the Tattoo rebranding) regarding their satisfaction with Globe’s service, you will most likely encounter a massive “wave” of spiteful rants, specifically pointing out the “misleading” claims from Globe regarding “constant available connection speeds”. The angst is understandable: many consumers are being made to sign up on Globe’s broadband internet service without even mentioning to them clearly the fact that Globe Tattoo and other Wimax or wireless-based internet products are covered by bandwidth capping, which is cleverly called “Fair Usage Policy.”

Many people are already annoyed about the “stealthy fine print-ness” of the Fair Use Policy, often overlooking its existence at all and realizing the implication only after months into the Globe Tattoo Wimax subscription—when their internet connection speed starts slowing down to a mere 30% of the broadband internet service rates they signed up on.

Let us clearly explain the Fair Use Policy with regards to a regular Globe Tattoo Wimax plan of, for instance, 1 MBPS. Each time you use the internet, you download data (be it for browsing or watching Youtube). Sometimes, you download a lot of stuff (videos, music files, or others). The moment your total downloads for the current month exceeds 25 GB (for a 1 mbps account), then your internet connection speed immediately slows down to a crawl (down to 30% of your previous 1 mbps).

Most users, who were somehow unaware about the Fair Use Policy when they first signed up, thought this was a “service failure” on the part of Globe, and so would resort to calling up Customer Service Hotlines, only to learn that they have to live with this limitation for the rest of the duration of their contract with Globe—if they don’t like it, they can opt to disconnect, but they have to pay certain charges.

The new Speed Boost Add-on: Faster Globe Wimax, Better Fair Usage Policy

So in the face of this entire bandwidth capping scenario comes Globe Tattoo’s Speed Boost feature: does Speed Boost mean, say, the extra speed of 1 MBPS is added to the existing internet speed of 300 KBPS? Or would the Speed Boost inapplicable to users who have already exceeded their 25 GB ration?

The good news is: with the Speed Boost, so many good changes have been implemented. First is the Fair Usage Policy: in the old system, the FUP is calculated monthly at a cap of 25 GB for 1 MBPS plans. But if you’d avail of Speed Boost (which is as low as an additional P150 per month), the FUP becomes DAILY, capped at a maximum of 3 GB a day—the capping is refreshed or reset every 12 midnight. This means from 25 GB of maximum downloads, the new Speed Boost gives Globe’s existing broadband internet service subscribers 90 GB bandwidth cap a month.

From where we sit, we see Speed Boost as Globe’s belated but still good answer to the mounting complaints against its 25 GB bandwidth cap. We think 90 GB is actually more than enough and would not annoy the beejesus out of even the most hardcore data downloader out there. If you have Globe Tattoo or Globe Wimax and you’ve been grinding your teeth over having to endure the 300 KBPS download speed you get most of the month, then you go and call Globe now at 7301000 to avail of the new Speed Boost add on.

Indeed, the issue of knowing how to load Smart online is best understood from the perspective of online security—no sane person would entrust their money on something that is obviously not secure. That is why, for instance, banks that offer online banking transactions that involve the exchange of real money make use of advanced highly secure servers to do the job. Selling eload online involves the same principles of online security—you have to find secure payment gateways to process the sales transaction for you.

In our own experience, we use Ejunkie as our payment gateway to sell Smart load online. The process is simple: if you have a website or a Facebook page or a free Multiply account or even a free Blogspot blog, you can sell Smart load by integrating it with your Ejunkie payment gateway. To encourage buyers to become repeat customers, we can even offer discounts or free Smart load on Ejunkie through the use of discount coupons that you can easily make through your eJunkie account.

There are also other answers to your “How to load Smart online” questions. For example, you can use websites like eBay to sell Smart prepaid cards individually or in bulk. In fact, there is no limit to what you can do in terms of establishing a profitable online eload business—you just have to make the necessary research in order to make sure you won’t be ripped off by scammers.

One good thing about Globe Philippines is that it offers so many variations in its Globe plans. While back in the past, postpaid subscribers could only choose among three fixed plans, now users have the luxury of being able to choose or even modify their monthly plan. For instance, if you believe your usage of the texting feature of your mobile phone might exceed the usual limit of 500 texts a month, you can adjust your incoming month’s limit to allow for more texts or calls. This is good because in the past, when you exceeded the monthly Globe plans limits, you will have to pay something like P1 per text, and that could easily rake up to thousands of pesos in SMS messages alone.

For Globe Philippines prepaid subscribers, on the other hand, there are now a dizzying array of choices that you can choose to fit your usage and actual daily budget. Current Globe promos are such that you will surely find one that is right for your usage requirements on a particular day. For instance, if you’ve met a new friend who happens to be a Globe subscriber and you want to “chat” with him or her, you can do so by activating Globe’s unlimited texting promo or even the superunli promo (for unlimited texting and calling), which can still be adjusted for a day of activation or up to five days of activation.

Somehow, however, the rich array of Globe plans can be confusing—sometimes you don’t really know how your day would go about and how heavy would be your mobile phone usage requirements. There may be instances when, expecting heavy usage of your mobile phone, you activated Globe Philippines’ Superunli promo, only to be disappointed when it turns out you don’t even need it.

In the end, however, it is all about options, and the delicious luxury of being able to make them. When deciding over specific Globe plans that you feel fit your own lifestyle, always try to focus on your own usage history and don’t get swayed by the flashy headlines and the temptation to jump in on the bandwagon.

Having said that, the ordinary mobile phone user does not really have to keep abreast of all the latest Globe eload promos, because the best, most useful Globe Philippines promos have been in operation for the past few years now, and the fact that they have not been scrapped by the telecom company means such promos are very highly in demand. So if you are a Globe Philippines subscriber, particularly the prepaid type, we have compiled some of the most useful and enduring Globe promos currently offered by the telecom company.

1. Superunli: activated by texting “super25” to 8888, this enables the user to enjoy one whole day (24 hours) of unlimited text and call to any other Globe Philippines subscriber (both prepaid and postpaid). If your friends are Globe subscribers too, you can “Text-babad” and “tele-babad” with them for only P25 pesos a day. This Globe promo is simply one of the best offerings of the company. Superunli can also be enjoyed for a full week (7 days) by texting “super150” to 8888.

2. Combo20. Next to superunli is Combo20, which of course can be activated by texting “combo20” to 8888. This allows the user to enjoy unlimited texting to other Globe Philippines subscribers, as well as 50 minutes of free calls for a full day. To enjoy some amount of savings, text “combo80” to 8888 to avail of five full days of combo text and calls for the price of four.

3. Unlitxt. One of the longest-running Globe promos is unlimited texting, which can be activated by texting “utxt20” or “unlitxt20” to 8888 to enjoy unlimited texting to other Globe/TM subscribers, as well as 20 free txt to other networks. For a five-day unlitexting, text “utxt80” to 8888.

4. Supersurf: unlimited mobile internet for only P50 a day. Text “supersurf50” to 8888 to activate for 1 day, or “supersurf220” for five whole days of unlimited internet usage (savings of P30).

5. Powersurf: if you don’t want unlimited mobile internet usage but still you want to save up somehow, then Globe Philippines’ powersurf promos may be best for you. Text “powersurf30” to 8888 for 3 hours of broadband internet service on your mobile device. Other variants are “Powersurf15” for 1 hour of internet browsing, and “powersurf50” for five hours.

6. Superalltxt: If you need to send text messages to people from different networks (Sun, Smart, Red, etc), then Globe Philippines’ Superalltxt promo is best for you. Text “atxt20” to 8888 to activate, which enables you to send 250 text messages to all networks valid for one day. To get some savings, txt “atxt80” for five days of superalltxt.

7. Super Facebook: As one of the most popular social networking site today, Facebook is most often the destination of most Globe Philippines mobile phone users. That’s why the Super Facebook Globe promo makes this list, which enables the user to enjoy five full hours of Facebook usage for only P10. To activate, text “superfb10” to 8888.

8. Special Globe Weekly Promos: occasionally, Globe Philippines rewards its subscribers by offering special specific Globe promos tailored to the subscriber’s needs (based on the user’s track record of usage). For instance, Globe offers alltxtcombo80 (activated by sending “alltxtcombo80” to 8888), which enables the user to enjoy 7 full days of having sending 250 txt messages to all networks per day, plus 30 minutes of calls (the calling part is valid for the entire week, though). Other users may be given different offers, and such offers are usually designed to enable the user enjoy great savings.

That’s the best Globe promos currently available, but do keep coming back to this list as we’ll update this to reflect whatever new promo Globe Philippines rolls out in the near future.

Recently, however, Globe has rolled out its new Globe Tattoo DSL, with the annoying “Fair Usage Policy” attached to it. For those who are not aware of it, the Fair Usage Policy limits your actual download usage of your Globe broadband connection via Wimax. If you’re a Globe Wimax subscriber or if your broadband connection is done through a wireless modem, then you are under the limit of the FUP—basically, after downloading 25 GB of data during the month, your 1 MBPS Wimax connection immediately slows down to a mere 30% of that as mandated by law (the NTC approved it). Many people are not aware of such a limit when they first signed up to subscribe to Globe’s broadband wireless products, hence, the proliferation of so many disgruntled customers ranting on various forums or websites against Globe.

Now, traditionally, DSL is wired, which means your broadband internet service is provided to you via conventional phone lines. DSL is not covered by any limit of the FUP. So if you have access to a nearby phone line, then by all means get a true DSL connection like PLDT DSL or Globe Tattoo DSL—but make sure your are getting the wired fast internet connection and not a wireless one.

This distinction is important as there seems to be an effort from Globe to blur the difference between Wimax and DSL. When they rolled out the Globe Tattoo DSL, the fine print says “”Covered by Globe’s Fair Usage Policy,” which should not be because it’s supposedly a DSL broadband internet service. A close reading of the fine print reveals that Globe Tattoo DSL actually consists of two distinct products: if you have access to a phone line, then you get the wired DSL service (true traditional ADSL technology, not covered by FUP), but if you live in a remote place inaccessible to phone lines, then you automatically get the wireless Wimax version.

Clarifying the difference between DSL and Wimax is important at the outset of selling a broadband internet service to a new customer because of the existence of FUP: Wimax or wireless connections are limited by the FUP, whereas true DSL service (such as PLDT DSL) does not have any such limit. With DSL, when they say “unlimited internet,” they really mean it. But with Wimax, when they say “unlimited internet,” it is only true until you reach the 25 GB download cap (for postpaid subscribers of Globe broadband wireless), after which your supposedly 1 MBPS connection immediately downgrades to a mere 30% of that speed.

The obvious downplaying of the existence of the FUP by Globe can be considered misleading, at the expense of the paying customer. Now, with its Globe Tattoo DSL, the possibility or potential for mass confusion is greater—we can imagine so many customers who were thinking they’re getting genuine DSL connection only to be provided with a wireless broadband internet service slapped with that annoying bandwidth capping getting the “shock of their life.”

As we previously mentioned, if you want genuine fast internet connection without the bandwidth capping, choose the wired broadband internet service when you can. At bottom, PLDT DSL and genuine Globe DSL have the same quality, but as Globe seems to be muddling the distinction with its most recent attempt at sub-branding with Globe Tattoo DSL, we’d rather stay away from Globe broadband until they get more honest.

These days, at least in the Philippines, broadband internet service is a hot issue, both in terms of the country’s economy and also in terms of politics (can anyone forget about the ZTE broadband fiasco?). Globe broadband products are among those that are getting too much attention because the company is one of the major providers of fast internet connection in the country. Despite its dominance in the local market, however, Globe does not seem to rest on its laurels: it aggressively markets its various internet products (especially the Globe Tattoo Wimax-based products) around the country—you have probably seen one of its sales people making the rounds in your barangay shouting, “Globe broadband internet!” as if they were peddling fish. Indeed, the company has no qualms about going down to this level, as its products are priced so that the most number of people can afford to subscribe to it.

There are one or two caveats, however, when availing of the Globe Tattoo service. For starters, let us clarify that “Tattoo” is a marketing campaign, a “sub-brand” that Globe uses to convey “coolness” and “cutting edge”. For the normal everyday internet user, however, it may be difficult to distinguish between Globe Tattoo and other broadband internet service products—until you realize that Globe Tattoo—even its new Tattoo “DSL”—is still the same things that depends on the company’s Wimax infrastructure. This means the “DSL” term there is misleading, because it does not run on your phone lines but on radio waves, as with any regular Wimax connection. This also means

The major difference between Globe’s Wimax-based products and the old DSL subscription products is the application of what the company calls the “Fair Usage Policy” or FUP. With Wimax, users enjoy the advertised data rate (for instance, 1 MBPS) but if they exceed 25 GB of downloaded data sometime during the month, their internet’s speed slows down to about a third of the supposed rate (normally, this would be around 320 KBPS). And this is “legal”—it is stated there in their FUP, and worse, approved by the NTC. Many people did not realize this when they signed up on a Globe broadband Wimax service, and these people (with their passionate gripes) currently flood internet forums spilling out their bile.

On the other hand, the regular DSL service offered by telecoms are not covered or limited by any FUP—which means when they say “unlimited internet,” they actually mean it. This is true with all telecom companies (PLDT DSL, Globe DSL, etc). The only limitation with DSL is of course the physical one—you need to be within the areas that can be reached by the telecom’s phone lines. If you happen to be living in, say, at the heart of some poor barangay, then chances are, no phone lines reach your area of residence.

There seems to be an attempt from Globe with its new Globe Tattoo DSL—because they’re using the term “DSL” here but the service is actually Wimax-based—which means despite the DSL tag, it is not a wired broadband internet service and it is (unfortunately) provided under the annoying Fair Usage Policy. Unlike “true” DSL services like PLDT DSL, Globe Tattoo DSL can be considered a modern-day con.

Basically, on paper (or at least as what its advertisements claim), PLDT DSL is able (up to 99% of the time) to provide a truly fast internet connection to its subscribers—from 512 kbps to 1 mbps, 2 mbps, or 5 mbps DSL package plans. And for the most part, as far as its track record is concerned, the company has indeed provided a consistent high-quality service to its customers, even coupling it with the occasional promos and added features, such as the Watchpad and free gadgets or devices (free cellphones or computer laptops).

Moreover, for about one thousand pesos of monthly service rate for a 1 MBPS fast internet connection, PLDT DSL is also an affordable means to immediately get online. The company also owns a far-reaching network of already existing infrastructure, so chances are, if you live in fairly established residential or commercial areas (if there is a wide concrete road, then that may be a “fairly established area”), there would be a PLDT line nearby. Therefore, signing up for a DSL service is just a phone call away.

Of course, we cannot deny the existence of unsatisfied PLDT DSL customers, and their gripes are worth hearing. Mainly, the majority of complaints have something to do with poor customer service and the “slightly” higher monthly rate as compared with that of, say, Globe broadband. However, if one looks closely, the bulk of the complaints stems from a misunderstanding. For instance, after a particularly strong typhoon such as Ondoy in September 2009, a lot of telecommunication infrastructure were damaged so much that rebuilding or repairing them required months of rehabilitation and repair work and millions of pesos on the part of the telecommunication company. Such havoc also left many customers without any internet access—and the “seemingly slow” response from PLDT compounded eventually to produce a “mass diaspora” of previously happy PLDT DSL customers toward other networks.

The bottom line, however, is that everybody is vulnerable to such disasters, and a little understanding is needed from the part of the customer. The last we heard, the company is about to roll out a new PLDT DSL feature and would even reduce its monthly rate to attract new subscribers—this perhaps in response to the aggressive marketing campaigns of its major rival, Globe broadband. In the end, in this fierce competition to dominate the fast internet connection market, the end consumer should emerge as the one to win it all.

The Globe Tattoo MyFi is one of Globe’s recent innovations. Basically, the prepaid kit includes the usual USB modem (with a P5 eload), but it also works as a mobile Wi-Fi router, which means you instantly share your internet connection via wifi connection with other wifi-capable devices within a 100-meter radius.

Personally, we have no concrete idea about specific situations that would require the broadband internet service provided by a Globe Tattoo MyFi, considering the fact that most major malls and cafes in the city provide free wireless internet connection anyway. That is why perhaps for most general fast internet connection purposes, you’ll do well with the normal regular Globe Tattoo stick that costs less than a thousand pesos—it’s still wifi, but it has no built-in router.

Nevertheless, the Globe Tattoo MyFi is a significant contribution to the further enhancement of the array of broadband internet service options available in the country, and perhaps this also pushes the competition to become even fiercer. And based on what we know about local technology trends, you can expect that Globe Tattoo will continue to introduce better and better prices for its products—heck, maybe in a few months, they would slash the price of the MyFi even lower. Remember when the normal USB Globe Tatto stick cost about five grand a couple of years ago? Now it’s only around 800 pesos, with all the bells and whistles.

Most probably, by the beginning of the incoming year, the price of the Globe Tattoo MyFi would approach the thousand-peso mark, just like it spredecessor. But no use waiting for that, of course—if you need one now (especially for purposes of sharing your mobile fast internet connection), you should grab this current promo as it already provides savings of a thousand bucks. If you’re a sole user, however, you can just choose the regular USB modem without the wifi router. And believe us—that’s the thing you’ll be needing in most situations. The point is, this new product further enriches the broadband internet service offerings in the country, and will perhaps compel the other players to introduce their own products to compete with this one. In the end, it’s the consumer who stands to gain the most.