Telecoms

Wi-Tribe 4G Broadband Launched

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief February 9, 2010 · 1 min read

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I actually deferred writing about it last December as requested by telco insiders but looks like the cat is finally out the hat. Wi-Tribe Philippines did a soft launch recently offering WiMax broadband internet in Metro Manila.

We already knew that this new telco challenger, Liberty Telecoms, is a partnership between San Miguel Corporation and Q-Tel (Qatar Telecoms). The service is called Wi-Tribe and ads have been published on newspapers and flyers recently (I got a flyer yesterday).

wi-tribe

Wi-Tribe is offering WiMax broadband internet for an introductory price of Php998 per month with up to 1Mbps bandwidth. There’s a 24-month lock-in period.

As a comparison, Globe Telecom introduced WiMax last year with a starting plan of 512Kbps for Php795. It now offers 1Mbps WiMax for Php995.

A number of beta-testers have been using the Wi-Tribe service for several months now. If you’re one of them, let us know you impression of the service. You can download their application form here.

The San Miguel and QTel partnership is a solid one that could prove to be a formidable challenger to the current broadband internet market. We always welcome competition.

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Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

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 is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

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594 Comments

Ecazeko · 16 years ago

Actually I applied for the plan already… Fair Usage? it’s fair if you are a professional and that internet usage is crucial to check mails or do banking stuff, but for young lads like us, putting a 3gig cap is just B*LLSH@#T! they should have advertised “Wi-Tribe… for professional use only and not for young users who loves to download, play streaming videos, and do online gaming!” this is one crappy service I tell you, it’s not worth the price. I feel cheated. To think I’m just watching videos in youtube. fair usage, yeah right, bet this company won’t make it in the long run if they run such crappy rules.

base from their website, you only have to download stuff during off-peak hours 1am-7am, yeah right as if everybod is awake do that.. I wish SMC could read this message and take drastic measures about this “Fair Usage” crap, and this 3gig cap, or change their ads and stop manipulating people.

ben kisla · 16 years ago

actually i have a friend who works in one of the major telcos here in the country and wi-tribe is really expanding because they’re ordering stm1 line from one of the big telcos. i thought they have their own submarine cable, hnde pala. they just buy big chunk of lines from the top tier telco’s here….hopefully they’ll be generous enough to open up their lines for wifi subscribers…kse technically it’s still a shared connectivity…no guaranteed speed…

be kisla · 16 years ago

if ur living in madaluyong, the neaest node of wi-tribe is in california garden along Libertad St.,
they set-up a facility atop of one of the buildings there in california garden..if u are nearby in that area most likely you’ll get the max speed.

Abe · 16 years ago

Yes …. this is very very very slow internet!

Sorry …. but i tell to all that this is not fast,

my Area is Diliman, Quezon City

I Wei (not my real name) · 16 years ago

No Sky in our area (San Juan). I want something like Sky, P 1,000 a month, faster than Globe. Maski not as fast as Sky, me kasama ng landline, tapos wireless so I can bring it everywhere. Now that’s the perfect broadband for me! Kase Smart is not that reliable or fast yet.

oliverv. · 16 years ago

wondering why other telcos/broadband now lunching their new campaign ads? scared of WiTribe maybe, anyone?

Frustrated Wi-tribe Fan · 16 years ago

Why say 4G then you can only give a limit of 1mbps and 3GB Cap limit?

My house is that of line-of-site with a Smart tower in our place (around 1.75KM away, because I also have a canopy antenna-too slow), I just use a 3.5G HSDPA stick and it can give me full 2.0mbps burst rate speed. You can only give a variable 1mbps, it could be 1.0 or lower.

Another thing, wimax is a wide ranged wi-fi. As far as I know, 1 wimax router has a range of almost 50 Kilometers or 30 miles. That is why it has a better connectivity. Makati is not too far away to Mandaluyong, but as I read this blog, I see a post that he is having a poor signal.

This technology should then be improved because it could be a shame if it is not.

Wi-Tribe · 16 years ago

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/7679/witribe.jpg the truth is, this only coverage that wi-tribe can cover

Wi-Tribe · 16 years ago

SUPER BAGAL NG CONNECTION even though d2 pa ko sa pinakamalapit na coverage 5/5 bars na bagal pa!! grabe talaga!!! so disappointing!!nag lagay pa ng CAPPED

bOOm sahakalaka · 16 years ago

i checked out their website after talking to a sales agent of theirs.

“wi-tribe MOVE plans are designed to provide you with reliable high-speed internet connectivity at 4G speeds with higher bandwidth than other broadband service providers. The service is designed to meet your demand for a dependable, consistent and high-speed internet service.”

–> move plans. you need a powersource for the modem. its definitely not mobile or easily movable. i get it. i’ll bring a car battery with me!
–> 4g speeds. 1mbps. other telco’s offer 1-2mbps already. and wi-tribe calls it 4g speed.
–> it is not designed to meet our demand. after 3gigs they’ll be lowering the speed. thats not consistent high-speed internet.

“Provides you with the best user experience for high-speed surfing, multimedia services, and content-rich applications.”

–> 3gb of content rich applications. and after that we will never have the best user experience.

“Easier to set-up than wired broadband connections”

–> yes indeed. just like the mobile modems of smart bro, globe tattoo and sun which are also plug and play.

“You may use the wi-tribe BOOM between short distances within our service area, as well as bring it to other parts of Metro Manila. ”

–> understandable for a new isp. short distances? not a benefit. the modem is big and you need a powersource. definitely not mobile.

please notify Senator Enrile about wi-tribe. their service is not consumer friendly.

it took time for me too realize that their modem is called “BOOM”. globe tattoo sounds cool. but “BOOM”? im really confused.

as a sales pitch, the sales agent even said that wi-tribe is owned by san miguel. so what? the offering is still the same. it doesn’t change anything.

Isel · 16 years ago

Well that’s disappointing. I have been looking forward to it since I badly need a back up ISP. Globe and Smart both fail miserably in our area and Sky broadband isn’t available yet.

anonymous · 16 years ago

new telco’s should be setting a new trend, cheap plans and more bandwidth…

cage · 16 years ago

the marketing “whiz” lost his magic?

Z · 16 years ago

This is not 4G. It’s only Wimax.

Carlo · 16 years ago

Oh, and I got the service in November when they launched the trial.

Carlo · 16 years ago

It’s crappy! Signal is not good (Mandaluyong area – they’re claiming they have a BTS in Boni and I’m like a few meters away)

It’s 1Mbps, yes but there’s a 20GB capping per month. that’s the only bandwidth you can use.

Signal is very weak. You’ll get disconnected every 5 minutes!

Also, poor customer service.

anonymous · 16 years ago

i am one of the agents of wi-tribe here in las pinas. to tell you the truth nawalan ako ng gana sa company na to. why? to become a sales agent you must first subscribe to their service or else you will not be able to sell their product. FTW!!! to think na hindi pa covered yung area namin. parang pyramiding scheme… and the 3Gb cap is such a total failure on their part! most of the websites today are rich in multimedia content. pano na kung manood ka ng youtube in HD? saglit na saglit lang yung 3GB na yun. and to be fair sa kanila 1am to 7am libre na download to sawa ka na kasi hindi mababawasan yung 3Gb allocation mo… I hope na baguhin nila ang marketing strategy nila para ma push ang product nila.

Adrian · 16 years ago

@poche: ganun po ba. sayang naman akala ko ok yung service nila.

itgbkj · 16 years ago

Visited the booth in Mandaluyong Circle and had a speedtest (.net and io) try. It only registered up to 800kbps. They insisted I try it with their own speedtest url, but it was still around that range.

For me, that speed is the same as the one that I am currently subscribed with. I’ll settle with what I have, for now.

According to the sales lady, they’ll soon offer a 12mo and 6mo lock-in period, but you’ll have to pay 5K for the modem and 2.5K, respectively. But I wonder if they’ll increase their speed soon.

And btw, for those who gave feedback, thanks for sharing the 3GB download cap. Upon reaching that, they’ll cap you down to 512kbps.

sherwin · 16 years ago

madaming misconceptions about 3G and 4G. Some think that 4G, because it’s a bigger number than 3 and 3.5G, is better for the consumer already. 4G is newer yes, it’s better yes but better in terms of what?

4G is better because, it offers larger downstream bandwidth and upstream bandwidth (as compared to the lower 3 and 3.5G), but that doesn’t equate to better broadband for the consumer per se.

it’s better for the telco really, because they can have a larger customer base per sector, a typical base station/cell site will have 3 sectors. 4G Wimax or LTE will only benefit users/consumers if the telco will make your bandwidth bigger too. this is controlled by the system itself GGSN/PDSN or any service gateway equipment/software or the AAA/Radius.

So in short, 4G Wimax man yan or LTE, if they say the package will only have up to 1Mbps or up to 2Mbps, it’s the same thing as with your 3G or 3.5G

It’s really up to the coverage/signal quality and not just signal strenght, another factor is the bandwidth going to that base station, LBNI being a startup may not have the same metro ring infrastructure than the other telcos yet and probably may just be leasing capacity from the established telcos, another consideration is their internet capacity to the internet gateways and the quality of it.

so be wise, have a demo unit first, test if it suits you, if it has good signal quality, if it’s spotty, then don’t get it, if you’re happy with it, think about the lock-in period too since they’re just starting out, the roll-out of the bandwidth/capacity/coverage may either be fast due to the huge cash they currently have, or slow since they’re still building it. A good network is not built overnight.

johnny · 16 years ago

3GB capping? does that mean i have to share 3GB with my family. even if i get it for my own use i might consume it in less than a week. possibly in a day even. gawin niyo naman 10GB! pero teka… unlimited nga pala ako ngayon… tsk!

4G and yet i get 1mbps? i can get that with 3g. other telcos even offer higher speeds with the same speed or even faster with 3g. unlimited pa. 1mbps nowadays is …basic.

If i pay you in full for the equipment you still lock me in for 6 months? thats ridiculous! you better let me go whenever i want to. and you should give me a lower monthly rate. i paid you in full! it covers the cost for the equipment right? locking me for 6 months is not enough a reason for me to pay you P4000 outright. who are you kidding?

wi-tribe… you’re not giving us a reason to transfer. you’re giving us a reason to laugh! i bet other telcos are laughing at you right at this very moment. sana gumawa na lang kayo ng parehas na offering baka lumipat pa kami sa inyo for “reliability” because of wimax.

you guys better turn this around… what a waste. no competition. only a dumb person would ever fall for this… or might as well… make such a package.

poche · 16 years ago

wi-tribe fails.
their 3gb volume capacity sucks.
just boycott this telco and let smc concentrate on beverage and food products.

simplynice93 · 16 years ago

Look like not all of Metro Manila is covered. They better boost the signal first.

roland · 16 years ago

just called Wi-tribe support desk… u’ll be having a 1mbps bandwith for 3GB data after that the max bandwith allocated will just be 256kbps… tsktskk… i’m not interested anymore… i’m using more than 3gb a week…

Ernie · 16 years ago

Hey Abe it is kinda cheap though I will still go for SkyBroadband it is 12mbps.

hp and acer laptop owner · 16 years ago

i really don’t this bandwith capping activities by these telcos. but from their own point, kailangan din naman to gawin dahil alam naman nila limitasyon ng network infrastructure nila. globe wimax nag-cacap na ata ng torrents, wi-tribe hanggang 3G data of up to 1mbps after that 512 kbps na speed. smartbro ba may ganito na ring policies

sherwin · 16 years ago

@MIKE

4G would generally refer to both Wimax and LTE but also refers to any wideband wireless technology even WiBro which is a non-standard wireless from S. Korea.

mindyQ · 16 years ago

i’m sticking with a wired connection. as we all know all wireless broadband providers fail to live up the customer expectations even in developed markets/countries.

MIKE · 16 years ago

4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to 3G and 2G standards and must have data rate of up to 100 MBps for high mobility such as mobile access.

As of the moment, 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE)is only available in 2 countries, Sweden and Norway. So, not yet available in Phils.

durantula · 16 years ago

is this faster than sky broadband?

jhoeforth · 16 years ago

@Adrian I suggest you let them test it from your house. There’s no universal experience for this. I’m just not too comfortable with this. Do they have their own cell sites or do they piggyback on other networks. If so, what if their user base increase? It’s too risky to dump your current provider for this one. Unless your provider is really that crappy.

Adrian · 16 years ago

sa mga naka try, mabilis po ba?

berkano · 16 years ago

4G? i don’t think so.. They might as well stick to the actual technology instead of misleading the public. As far as I’m concerned 4G is reserved for LTE.

Reah · 16 years ago

my brother is beta-using this…way faster than globe here in mandaluyong.

Arnold Gamboa · 16 years ago

Beta testing in Mandaluyong. 1 bar. Virtually unusable. Considering that there’s a bunch of Wi-Tribe posters near our house :D

lolipown · 16 years ago

Ah yes, the 3GB cap. I remember seeing a thread on TPC for beta testers (forgot if it was a recruitment thread or just a general reaction one) and the biggest pain on the subscriber side was the 3GB cap.

jhoeforth · 16 years ago

They did a testing from my apartment and they failed miserably. The device didn’t even made a connection. Like most of the DSL providers, I think it still depends on your location. I live in Mandaluyong.

Schmuck · 16 years ago

Vince is correct, Wi-tribe subscribers have a 3Gb cap every month. After they’ve consumed it, their speed will be throttled down to just 512Kb. So in effect, the 1Mbps speed is only effective for the first 3Gb.

This defeats the purpose of switching to their ISP if you ask me.

vince · 16 years ago

typo, 6 months not 3 months

vince · 16 years ago

oh and here’s another blog entry

http://magos-biologis.blogspot.com/2010/02/is-wi-tribe-covering-up-something.html

showing how to reduce the lock in period to 6 months, however, the wi-tribe official website seems to have covered it up

and BTW, AFAIK the cap is either off or increased if you have a trial account

vince · 16 years ago

oh and here’s another blog entry

http://magos-biologis.blogspot.com/2010/02/is-wi-tribe-covering-up-something.html

showing how to reduce the lock in period to 3 months, however, the wi-tribe official website seems to have covered it up

and BTW, AFAIK the cap is either off or increased if you have a trial account

Lexty · 16 years ago

I thought 4G would offer higher bandwidth? how come its only 1Mbps?

razorous · 16 years ago

Yea i see their ads all over gilmore when i pass by :)

vince · 16 years ago

http://magos-biologis.blogspot.com/2010/02/wi-tribe-4g-new-isp-in-philippines.html

This is my blog entry on wi-tribe. It has more information such as

* this is wimax, probably wimax-E so techincally its only 3.9g. well this isnt too much of a problem
* MERON 3 gig CAP!!!, after which you get throttled to a slower speed

Erin · 16 years ago

I wish bandwidth providers will start approaching this from the other way around: start offering it on the areas that does not get enough coverage and then work from there towards the already “serviced” market. I know it means an increased cost but it means going from a captive market and expanding to the “leftovers” on established markets, rather than going the other way around.

ciao!

ewancoo · 16 years ago

I am one of the beta testers of this service. I have been using it for 2 weeks, and so far so good. Speedtest.net results to 0.9++Mbps download speed and torrent speed peak at 110KBps. In my residence in pasig, i get 3 of 5 bars signal. However, when I brought the modem to my mom’s house in Marikina (far end, near san mateo rizal boundary) I got no signal. As far as I know the service is currently offered within metro manila only. Though some beta testers from cainta, rizal got decent 4G signal.

Caes · 16 years ago

It’s too expensive! Albeit they are using the latest technology, it doesn’t matter if it’s priced the same as any other wi-fi/broadband offering. Internet should become cheaper & cheaper every year because these telcos recover part their initial capital every time they milk the cash cow->this is us. I hope that the cost of Internet becomes regulated soon by the government else we would be stuck with this kind of price cartel. Internet promotes progress, & I wish that progress becomes cheap soon…

Kenneth · 16 years ago

I think I won’t bite on their offer. Since they don’t give me enough reasons to switch ISP’s.

The Teknisyan · 16 years ago

wow… really 4G? hmh.. sounds like the food suppliment. :-D

Kidding aside, this is a good entry to the just 3 provider not counting the bayantel wireless… the big 3 are basically locked on just one price plan, since they can control both the price and the service that they provide to the customer. With Wi-Tribe/WiMax they might think twice and offer more to their existing customer and prospective customer. Specially if Wi-Tribe/SMC start flexing their marketing muscles.. and I do mean flex!!!

http://teknisyan.blogspot.com