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Smart Bro Plan 999 drops to 1Mbps

A reader sent an email last night asking why Smart Bro’s Fixed Wireless Plan 999 has been downgraded to just 1Mbps from 2Mbps starting June 1, 2011. So I double-checked and compared the page using Google Cache and here’s what I got.

This cached page was from May 30, 2011. By today, you can see that the page has been edited to reflect the speed downgrade.

Hello Mr. YugaTech.

I recently checked out SmartBro’s Canopy page (http://smart.com.ph/bro/products/homebroa-dband.htm).

I learned that effective June 1, 2011, the advertised “Up to” speed has been decreased to 1Mbps (formerly upgraded to 2Mbps).

No wonder our connection has somewhat experienced a slowdown. This downgrade is quite disappointing since we will still pay PHP 999.

Perhaps Smart could at least decrease the MSF as well.

– Gregory G.

Frankly, I don’t really know why Smart would downgrade the speed of all fixed wireless subscribers (which I believe is already in the 500k+ in number) but here are several possible reasons I could think of.

Over-capacity. Smart can no longer support the demand for bandwidth for all its fixed wireless subscribers. So instead of upgrading their network bandwidth to accommodate new subscribers, they can simply and easily just cut the allocation in half.

Subscription Plan re-alignment. Smart is also offering WiMax at 1Mbps for Php999. Smart Bro’s Plan 999 used to be 2Mbps so to make it “fair” across the board, they’ve also made it 1Mbps. This will prevent Smart Bro Fixed Wireless from eating into the market of Smart WiMax.

Budget re-alignment. Smart is already pushing their next-generation LTE network, Smart Evolution, so it’s possible majority of their 2011 budget is allocated for the roll-out and very small or none is left for Smart Bro.

We can speculate all we want but unless we ask Smart, we won’t know the real answer (go try calling their CSR). I’m shooting an email to a friend who’s now with Smart Public Affairs and see if he can get us an answer.

Here’s my take — if you’re Smart Bro is currently giving you somewhere between 500Kbps to 1Mbps from the old 2Mbps max speed, I don’t think it really matters if the new max speed is just 1Mbps. You still get the same usual speed anyway. This will only be felt by a few who are consistently getting the full or near full 2Mbps limit.

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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.

83 Responses

  1. Avatar for bagal bagal says:

    una lang pala yung mabilis nito… shyt 2 years pa… 2 years pa akong magdusa.. wala naman nag.explain dito sa SM CEBU – SMART na eto pala yung mapapala ko. Im very disappointed to SMART, subrang hina! please wag naman sana ganito, payagan nyu kaming lumipat ng ISP, bat pa babayaran yung 2 years gustong2x ko nang mag quit sa smart bro nato, 2 weeks pa lang, ang bagal2x na maximum of 20kb/s lang DL speed ko.

  2. Avatar for Christopher Christopher says:

    SMART BRO PHILIPPINES
    SMART COMMUNICATIONS, INC
    Smart Tower 6799 Ayala Avenue,
    Makati City

    August 12, 2013

    To whom it may concern,

    Only 7 more Months of waiting so I can TERMINATE PERMANENTLY my NO INTERNET SERVICE of My SMARTBRO.

    It has been ONE YEAR (1) and 5 MONTHS of NO INTERNET CONNECTION of my SMARTBRO Service after I had renewed for another 24 Months (March 2012) my SmartBro Account (March 2010-2014).

    Thank God. My long wait, 48 Months (4 years) will be ended.

    April 7, 2012 when I first called SmartBro (02.672.7277) reported my NO INTERNET CONNECTION of my SMARTBRO Service. I was given SR #: 383482217.

    April 11, 2012 I decided to make a follow of my NO INTERNET CONNECTION PROBLEM with my SMARTBRO Service after monitoring it for 24 to 48 hours, but my complaint was not being solve or fix.

    After I had noticed that every time I am making a follow up of my NO INTERNET CONNECTION PROBLEM for my SMARTBRO Service, my previous SR # will be closed and the Call Center Agent is just making a new SR #. Closing and Creating a New SR # is giving me a headache and disappointment that I need to explain all-over-again from the beginning what had happen to my account and worst is I had to do the technical internet connection procedures with what I am suppose to do with my computer all-over-again.

    No one call me back or even visit my house to check on my SmartBro Service. I am so disappointed that after I had renewed my Account I was given a worst service.

    No one wanted to have their hard earned money to be wasted for over ONE YEAR & FIVE MONTHS of NO INTERNET CONNECTION. And because they said that I can not terminate my account during my 2nd term lock-in period without any consideration for my NO INTERNET CONNECTION, I am paying for the service every month.

    Without any consistent explanation with what had happened to my SMARTBRO Service, now I don’t want to know and I do not care anymore.
    Here are my SR #s with their dates:

    * 383482217 = April 7, 2012
    * 384176625 = April 11, 2012
    * 384-915-789 = April 15, 2012
    * 387-576-145 = April 30, 2012
    * 388-913-432 = May 9, 2012
    * 391-528-437 = May 26, 2012

    THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO STILL WANTED TO AVAIL OF SMARTBRO SERVICE.

    GOOD LUCK.

    Very truly yours,

    CHRISTOPHER
    SRN: 1011071793
    Account #: 0705849285

  3. Avatar for bojo bojo says:

    ive been a subscriber for 6 years. yeah i got a big discount for it. akala ko sa pag lipat ng bahay kaya nag slow yung speed yun pal abinawasan talaga

  4. Avatar for enhancement male enhancement male says:

    I read this paragraph completely on the topic of the comparison of latest and earlier technologies,
    it’s awesome article.

  5. Avatar for Juan Juan says:

    kaya nga pala SMART ang pangalan, pakabig ang laban…alam kasing no choice si Juan kaya ganyan..Naluko na naman si Juan….tsk, tsk, tsk…????!!!!???

  6. Avatar for makmak makmak says:

    ang baagggaaaalllll…….

  7. Avatar for -Nobody- -Nobody- says:

    hanggang advertising lang ba kayo? walang kwenta connection nyo parang globe rin na palpak sa una lang mabilis pero habang tumatagal lalong bumabagal.. palpak talaga. . . hindi maka abot manlang ng 30 kbps ang download speed at tapos tuwing mag open ng page ang bagal. . hindi pa minsan mabuksan . . mas mabilis pa yata ang broadband nyo kesa direct connection. . .gawan nyo naman ng paraan. .plan 999 ba talaga 2 parang gprs sa cp ang speed connect nyo……

  8. Avatar for roe roe says:

    Our place (Zambales) is extremely suffering slow internet connection from SmartBro. I don’t know what happened. The very first time we have internet with smart, we were so amazed of the consistency… But now, it’s getting too slow! Wrong timing ang new commercial nila: “SLOW INTERNET CONNECTION?” Tama! That’s what SMART can offer you right now! “LIVE MORE?” Suck! you can’t live that more… If theres only other alternative, then i will switch without second thought!

  9. Avatar for Carmi Carmi says:

    Extremely Poor Customer Service!

  10. Avatar for Yobi Yobi says:

    WOW! I couldn’t agree more:
    [IMG]http://www.speedtest.net/result/2017043293.png[/IMG]

    Currently planning to terminate their service.
    And planning to subscribe to other ISP

  11. Avatar for Arries Arries says:

    Wow! Nasabe na nila lahat ng pwede ko sabihin.
    Totoo lahat ng sinasabi nila guys maniwala kayo.
    Na experience ko kasi lahat ng complain nila.
    Frustrating talaga smart.

  12. Avatar for BRO KEN BRO KEN says:

    kaya kung ako sa inyo wag na kayo magpakabit ng smart o bumili ng kahit anong produkto nila dahil pagsisisihan nyo lng, wag na kayo pabiktima sa scam ng smart na yan dahil pera lang naman ang kukunin nila satin pero wala tayong magandang serbisyon makukuha sa kanila dahil BULOK na BULOK na sila noon pa hindi na magbabago yan.

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