Recently, Globe updated its Globe at Home Fiber Plans to support faster speeds.
I was on Plan 1699 that used to have 60Mbps speed only. I opened the Globe at Home app (I know, it’s very buggy app, you need to bring a lot of patience), hit the Upgrade button under my Plan Details, and my speed was upgraded after 3 days:
And the upgrade even came with a free 3-month Amazon Prime Video subscription, which I barely use (I use Plex).
Smart is not so sure whether to actually offer their Smart Magic Data or not. For one, the addon mechanics cannot be found in any page of Smart. You can only avail from the Giga Life app. And it’s available only to prepaid subscribers. There have been instances where users reported that the Magic Data disappeared from available upgrade options in the Giga Life app.
One thing is for sure, that Smart is not sure whether to continue with this offering. With the Magic Data addons, Smart is encouraging its postpaid subscribers to switch to prepaid instead.
With the coming of DITO and introduction of Globe’s GOMO, it’s Smart’s move. And they come up with: Smart MAGIC DATA:
The Magic Data appears for now to be available only to Smart’s prepaid subscribers, and it seems to be not so competitive compared to GOMO, but this development is welcome anyway, especially if you frequent an area where you find Globe’s network connection to be spotty.
You can subscribe to Smart’s Magic Data by going to their Gigalife mobile app.
Yugatech reports Globe expands 5G coverage in NCR, Visayas, Mindanao:
The telco accelerates 5G technology in key cities of Visayas and Mindanao. This includes Bacolod, Boracay, Iloilo, Talisay, Lapu-Lapu, Cordova, Minglanilla, and Cebu City in the Visayas. For Mindanao, it has Davao City and Cagayan De Oro.
Seriously, though, is there anybody out there who’s excited about 5G?
For mobile data, 4G is fast enough for me. Otherwise, there’s the fixed-line internet network wi-fi I can always fall back to in times of need. What we need as Filipinos is better coverage and reliable and steady mobile internet connection.
If my next phone offers 5G connectivity, well and good, at least I’d be kinda future-proof. But I’m not rushing to the nearest Smart or Globe store to grab the latest 5G phone.
In these new Giga packages of Smart, you’ll be allocated 3GB per day, and they expire, well, as often as, every day! Whether you like it or not, you’ll be forced to consume that much data in a day, otherwise you can bid them goodbye anyway.
In real life, however, we don’t stop, we GOMO! For P299, you’ll have 25GB of data that never expire. If you really are a heavy user, you’ll actually find this expensive, as this translates to ~P1,200 for 100GB, vs. Smart’s 114GB for ~P1,000. But really, don’t you bump into slack days when you’d wish you could hold on to some of your data?
We’re not even talking here yet about the much cheaper call and text rates should you opt to convert some of your GOMO data to text and/or call minutes.
So, unless Smart could find a way to compete to what GOMO offers, Globe will surely be the winner here.
GOMO is so far the only cellular service that offer 25GB for ₱299 and that don’t expire. But is the sim only usable in a smartphone? Can I also stick it into a pocket wifi or a prepaid home wifi, to enjoy the unexpiring data?
I was looking for the answer around the web, but couldn’t find any. So I hit them up on Twitter, and here’s what I got:
So yes, you can use the GOMO Sim in a pocket wifi, Globe at Home Prepaid Wifi, or any unlocked/open-line wifi router device, only that you have to activate the sim first in a mobile phone (Android or iOS/iPhone) app.
Part of the reason why I chose Globe’s postpaid internet called Globe at Home was because of the freebies they came waiving at my face when I first approached their booth at the mall.
I opted for the Plan 1599, and here are the plan inclusions as described in their website: …
What are the freebies that come with your new Globe at Home subscription?Read More »
When you own a smartphone, are you expected to be subscribed to a data plan with it?
Apparently, the answer is yes if you own an Android device.
In iPhones, if you turn cellular data off, it means no cellular data — completely. As long as it stays off, you will not be charged for any unintentional background data use.
That is not the case for Android. Apparently, even if you turn off mobile data in your Android device and solely use wifi for internet connection, the system still uses mobile data and connects to the internet from time to time.
So now you can’t fault me when my money mostly goes to my ever reliable iPhone in the battle between the two systems. …
How to completely turn off mobile data in Android?Read More »
Are you willing to spend P9,499.00 per month (~US$204.15) for a whopping 1Gbps fiber internet connection speed? That is — only if you’re located in Acropolis, Bel-Air Village, Forbes Park, Greenmeadows, Urdaneta Village, and White Plains areas.
…
I don’t understand the need for a “Fair Use Policy” (FUP). No, I’m not even referring to Smart and Globe’s “unlimited” internet misrepresentation.
According to Globe’s website:
This policy allows us to maintain the quality of our mobile internet service and give all Globe customers a fair opportunity to enjoy our network.
…
Mobile surfing offers from Globe are generally meant for emailing, browsing and search activities. Customers who frequently use file-sharing software or download large files are usually the ones affected by our policy. Media streaming and downloading of torrents also contribute to the excessive use of bandwidth capacity.
If that truly is their intention, why not make users pay for what they actually use, instead of offering “unlimited” and capping them just the same.
…
Free Facebook is a great promo from Globe. Who doesn’t want free service, right? If only they can carry it out more smoothly:
At least, that’s what happened in my case. I didn’t opt-in but I was automatically subscribed to the service, even though I was on an unlimited data plan to start with.
I’m on unlimited data plan. I don’t need free Facebook. Stop displaying these notices on my device: …
Subscribing to a new Globe Telecom postpaid plan today has never been complicated. Globe is trying to project that you are getting value for your money by making you go through their slow (and I mean slow and painful loading of their website) process of choosing the plan, gadget, combos, etc. The sad truth is — that is not the case.
If we are to simplify Globe’s postpaid plan and compare it to Smart Communications’, let’s take a look at the table below, assuming we are to get an iPhone 5 with 16GB capacity at both Plan 999:
| Globe | Smart | |
|---|---|---|
| Device | iPhone5 16GB | iPhone5 16GB |
| Monthly MSF* | ₱ 999 | ₱ 999 |
| Cash Out* | ₱ 19,200 | ₱ 19,000 |
| Free Data | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free Calls | nil | 40 mins. |
| Free SMS | nil | 100 texts |
| Remaining Consumable* | ₱ 101 | nil |
* In Philippine Peso
Globe uses Peso Value as unit of measure to be allocated/amortized among the cost of the gadget (e.g., iPhone 5), combos, and consumables. Yet, it appears (from the table above) that you really are not getting value for your peso.