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Smart Bro Big Bro

My meeting with an executive from Smart’s Public Affairs office went well and I got the juicy details about how the service was brought about.

The discussion revolved around the new strategy to approach the growing problem and apparent inadequacies with Smart Wifi. Now that it’s re-branded as Smart Bro, a new team was also put in place to oversee the entire operation.

An explanation from an earlier email to me is posted below:

We’re currently undertaking measures to improve network facilities by deploying advanced radio base stations and terminal equipment, and installing upgraded routers. We’re also expanding the wireless broadband network’s core transmission backbone capacity up to 10 Gbps and the regional backbone capacity to 1 Gbps. International transmission capacity has also been increased significantly to further improve access to servers overseas.

On the customer care end, we are improving the customer service systems and processes that handle queries regarding the wireless broadband service. The number of call center seats dedicated to broadband customers has been increased to 370. On the business end, Smart Bro is now directly managed by a combination of PLDT and Smart executives and technical professionals.

Concurrent to these measures, we intend to expand our customer interaction and feedback mechanisms by partnering with journalists, editors, technology users groups and active bloggers who regularly encounter customer feedback (good or bad) on our Smart Bro service . As such, we would like to invite you to form part of “Smart Bro Big Bro ” core user group. We can discuss this opportunity at length at a your most convinient time.

From what was told to me, their original support personnel was just 70 and it was only now that they added 300 more (after the Meridian mass-walkout?). Oh, well.

Anyway, they will be installing Smart Bro at my place so I can have first-hand experience with the service, provide them direct feedback and suggestions for improvement. Along with the other members of the core group, we will ahve direct access to all department heads, especially their network operations manager.

I also mentioned that this move (tapping active bloggers among others to “beta test” such services) is a first in the Philippines. More on this at PTB.

[tags]broadband, telco, isp, wi-fi, wireless fidelity[/tags]

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

132 Responses

  1. Avatar for shim shim says:

    SANA MAY MAG ORGANIZED NG ISANG SAMAHAN PARA LABANAN ANG GANITONG KLASING COMPANYA.
    SCAMER!!!!

  2. Avatar for shim shim says:

    dear fucking smart bro.PUTANG INA NYO!!!!!!
    papadalhan nyo ako ng billing na maykasama penalty at galing sa abogado.
    walang hiya kayo ginigisa nyo kami sa sarili naming mantika mangagantso kayo.
    first.tumatawag ako halos 2months para ayusin connection ko sa loob ng two months puro kayo palusot na porke inaayos substation nyo.tapos ng ng decide na ako paputol pumunta ako sainyo ang sabi nyo pwede naman paputol kng mapapatunayan na maybasihan na mabagal net ko.tapos sabi nyo papapunta kayo ng tao para check connection ko to probe na pwede putulin connection ko.
    anak ng puta dalawang buwan na asan na ang tao na titingin para maputol connection ko.sinungaling talaga mga taga smart.
    buti pa globe pagnagrequest ako ng tech, pagsinabi nila na bukas darating talaga kng kailan nila sinabi.
    wala ba pwede agency na pwede lapitan sa ganitong problema smart bro is CERTIFIED SCAMER.

  3. Avatar for Angelica Mapanganib Angelica Mapanganib says:

    Everything about Philippine Internet Speed can be watched at:

    http://www.pinoypride.net/search/?search_id=internet&search_type=search_videos&submit=+

  4. Avatar for jon jon says:

    naPAKABAGAL HINDI PA MAINTAIN UNG SPEEd MINSAN 2.2mb biglang nag-0kbps!! alang hiya yan ganyan ba ung service ng isa pnkamaliking network??? aksyonan nyo naman

  5. Avatar for neilbryson neilbryson says:

    Lagi na lang paputol-putol ang connection dito. -.-

  6. Avatar for Karen Karen says:

    I’m using a smartbro plug-it and until now they cannot resolve my problem regarding bad ip address.. can anyone please help me..im tired of calling the customer service representatives..thanks..

  7. Avatar for Browse N Drowse Browse N Drowse says:

    I wanted to install Smart Bro Share It in the past but when I was searching the Web for reviews about Smart Bro, I found this link: The reason behind SmartBro’s lockin period. It really opened my eyes. That’s why I hope to spread this link so that others might also see. I hope you will spread it too.

  8. Avatar for Lawliet Lawliet says:

    bat ganun… bka naman po pwede nyo aq tulungan.. kc nsa province ako at i bought my smart BRO plug-it there…. my povince has good signal. pero when i installed it…. and ready,, nk lagay “No Sevice” pero may signal, anu un?

  9. Avatar for jon jon says:

    hi guys,
    like most of you I was made to believe that I am getting my money’s worth when i signed up with Smart Bro with a 2 year locked in period. Actually I have an ok experience with Smart Bro prepaid last year, so i am assuming i will have the same experience at least. But alas after just 1 day of surfing – i am searching the web for smart bro forums. Its very very frustrating when they advertise 2MBPS while in reality I average something like 30kbps!! which is less than dial up!
    Can we report this to consumer protection organizations? Can we get out of the locked in period without paying the balance?? I would understand if most of the time its less than 2mbps but 20 or 30kbps is too much ! it’s like saying most of the dozen eggs you bought are ok only to find out all but 1 are rotten. This really frustrates me. so maybe we can all band together to make Smart improve its service.
    Pls advise thanks

  10. Avatar for maryon mayor maryon mayor says:

    may bago guys… may UNLI na sa smart… smart UNLISURF…

    ito ung link..

    http://www.maryonmayor.com/smart-bro-prepaid-unlimited-surfing/

  11. Avatar for vanes vanes says:

    new smart bro plug it subscriber here. sa brochure nila 2mpbs. expect ko is 384kbps lang naman. kasi yun yung minimum connection ko sa tattoo prepaid.
    sa smart bro 38.4 maximum recieved rate ko. its clearly false advertising. sising sisi ako ngayon na nag smart bro ako. sana tattoo na lang. lock in period ko 2012 pa.

  12. Avatar for john john says:

    SMART! CUSTOMER SERVICE? SUCKS….TRAIN YOUR REPS BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. I’M BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE SINCE LAST WEEK, EVERY TIME I CALL THEY ARE GIVING ME DIFFERENT ANSWER. BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!!!!BAD CONNECTION!!!!!!!!!

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