There will always be claims of product/service superiority among competing companies and the one between Smart and Globe is a classic example. The latest one is the battle between mobile broadband services Globe Tattoo and Smart Bro.
I’m sure a lot of you have seen SmartBro’s latest commercial with Mo Twister in it. If you haven’t, check this YouTube clip:
In the commercial, Smart claims that 9 out of 10 times, SmartBro is faster than the competing brand. In this case it, was implying Globe Tattoo (the blurred footage of the Tattoo USB dongle is pretty obvious). In the trials made by Smart they used Speedtest.net as their benchmark tool of choice.
Not to be outdone, Globe Telecom wants to rebut the claim and says it isn’t so. So Globe commissioned NESIC to do a broadband test for them and showed the results to the media proving otherwise.
The methodology includes both an HTPP Speed Test using 2Wire.com as well as Direct HTTP Download from Download.com and an FTP Speed Test using a 12MB file from a local server. I am sure you know what the results of the study are and who came on top.
What is more interesting is the methodology of the benchmarking they’ve done. In my opinion, using SpeedTest.net is not a reliable way to test broadband speeds, despite it being a popular tool among users. My understanding is that Speedtest.net measures the burst speed of your connection and not the sustained speed or average speed. It means that during the test window, the tool will see variable speeds (that’s while the dial meter fluctuates) and will pick up the fastest it has detected. In some sense, it is a good way to measure the maximum achievable speed of an internet connection but that’s all it does.
Here’s an analogy — imagine a Javelin Thrower in a competition is allowed 3 attempts to get the javelin the farthest. His 3 attempts were 55 feet, 125 feet and 185 feet. If SpeedTest.net were the judge, it will score the athlete a 185 feet rating. If 2Wire.com were the judge, it will give the athlete just 121.67 feet (average of 3 attempts).
So why is Globe saying that Speedtest.net is not reliable? Because it does not take into account consistency. Let’s go back to the Javelin tournament — a second athlete throws with the following distances: 145 feet, 130 feet, 155 feet. If Speedtest.net were the judge, it will give the 2nd athlete a score of 155 feet while 2Wire.com would give it 143.3 feet.
Now, which of the two athletes is the better javelin thrower?
However, there could be a number of external factors that may affect speed test for mobile broadband:
Rather than using benchmark tools, I’d rather propose some real-world measurements:
Who has the biggest subscriber base? Who has the widest coverage? Who has the fastest mobile broadband service? Any one of them can claim these but ultimately it is the users’ commulative experience that will decide which is more reliable.
YugaTech.com is the largest and longest-running technology site in the Philippines. Originally established in October 2002, the site was transformed into a full-fledged technology platform in 2005.
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Brian_B says:
Good post. Hopes this gets the link love it deserves.
Providers, take notice.
marvin says:
I agree… I used speedtest.net last few days measuring the if the upgrade on my PLDT DSL subscription is working…
Seems like I have to test it again using other methods to get the real speed.
lolipown says:
Another point that should be added when looking at broadband speed tests is coverage. Which network has better coverage AND network throughput overall?
They can run speed tests all they want but what matters to everyone are:
1.) Can they avail of the service (meaning connect to the network) with the same consistency that they’re touting?
2.) Can the infrastructure handle all those connections? Or will we get to point 3..
3.) Are we getting throttled? -> Probably going to raise red flags to the most active users :D
Paul Pisig says:
I had a friend who got an apartment unit somewhere in JP Rizal (Makati City). He’s currently using Globe Tattoo. He’s always upset because even if the UI of Globe Tattoo indicates my friend has HSDPA as the device’s signal, he’s experiencing a really SLOW connection. I tried to explain to him that internet speed is different from internet bandwidth. His Tattoo may show him the datacard is receiving a very strong signal but the question is the bandwidth available in his location (network congestion). And he’s been arguing with me about this analogy the whole night. Hahaha. Was I right or not? I hope somebody will clear this out for us. If I’m right, I’ll be very excited to show this thread to my friend. If not, oh well, I’ll admit to him that I’m wrong. :p
Jhay says:
If it’s about their mobile internet speed, three words: location, location, location.
3G signal is strong in malls and cities, while very spotty in the provinces for both networks. So the commercial by Smart? It’s just another PR stunt.
Ric says:
People who get suckered by that ad will be in for a really big disappointment. Smart should be ashamed of themselves. The only time I can consider Smart Bro usable is during 2am – 7 am in the morning. Sheesh!
ROEL_V says:
have any one tried the crack USB modem, im using it now, if the area have strong smart signal, I use smart sim vice versa for globe . . . . . sorry for my english
herbert says:
After missing cellphone credits, this is another techy thing that the Congress should investigate. They should clarify what “speed up to…” is all about. There should be a minimum speed that subscribers should have in any given package.
Abe, suggestion though. Please disclose in this post any business linkage you have with Globe, Smart, or Sun.
berkano says:
I’ve been using a Smart Bro canopy for over a year and i can the speeds have been consistent especially for torrent downloads and video streams.
USB users will always have a different opinion since they are mobile and certainly the experience will depend on their location and the density of subscribers.
Globe on the other hand..well I’ve used their USB modems before they were tattoed and they flat out SUCKED. Multiple areas, nada. Sorry I couldn’t have said more gently.
francis says:
The more subscribers, the more that are using the networks respectively, the slower the connection. Of course these telcos want to maximize their earnings by overcrowding their subscribers….. bahala na si batman basta may kita tayo. Don’t be fooled by their commercials, pare pareho lang sila. Typical inefficient utility providers
Jeff says:
Liked the post sir yuga. Ãœ it’s pretty obvious that SMART came out with this solely for advertising purposes, of course it’s part of the marketing strategy that Globe cannot accept. Reality bites, its a competetion. it really depends on each customer’s experience because nothing is constant.
JohnLlot says:
totally agree on the factors involve. ath the end of the day users experience will still matter.
jill says:
Flatly, they’re both the same. Tooth and nails over this speed thing: Duh and Hisshh! I agree with response #3.
Patrick says:
I agree on the factors involved but most especially the location. This is why I still prefer wired broadband for my home connection. If I need wireless internet when I’m on-the-go, there’s bound to be a free WIFI hotspot somewhere nearby.
And shame on that Smart Bro commercial! It’s misleading and sadly, I’m sure many non-techie consumers would be won over by it. <_<
Abe Olandres says:
@herbert – at the time of posting, there’s none for all 3 of them although Smart and Globe have been advertisers before with Smart being the biggest advertiser so far. However, there are also two upcoming ad deals with Smart and Globe.
Carl says:
Just in time when Globe is under proxy again. :/
movie poster says:
great move for smart bro but fail for 2 factor. speedtest.net and Mo Twister lol
Reel Advice says:
Honestly, I have tried both Smart and Globe and both are huge wastes of time and money. 9 out of 10 times, I need to refresh a webpage for it to load properly albeit very slowly
Anyway, have they even tried going against Sun? I think Sun is the fastest and most consistent here in the Metro – going outside Metro Mabnila is a different case though.
Vance says:
I doubt that the downloading a movie file utorrent will be reliable source for data, remember it will depedent on how many seeders and peers..
@abe, out of topic: are you going to CEL 09? this weekend.
Vance says:
@sorry about the first post. I meant download a movie using torrent I meant.
Vance says:
@sorry about the first post. I meant download a movie using torrent.
Abe Olandres says:
@vance – there are torrents with 10,000 seeders so I think that’s not a problem.
I’m supposed to talk at CEL09 tomorrow but I am out of town. We are trying on live streaming my talk.
Jay Castillo says:
This article’s timing is perfect for me! I have Globe Tatoo, my sister has Smart Bro. Now I know how to make an objective assessment for each connection at our temporary residence, no thanks to Ondoy. Obviously we can’t go for wired connections because we don’t plan to be “refugees” beyond 6 months at my sister’s condo.
Jervis says:
Advertising / PR is part of winning the business game =)
But to be fairly objective in assessing the internet speeds, I think a third party with no relations or interest to both groups should do it, making use, or to consider the methods Yuga mentioned in this post.
In the end, it’s still the consumer to decide if his/her money’s worth the service.
Reel Advice says:
@Jervis
I think this was done by an independent market research group. If my memory serves me correct, they are PSRC. I saw the company name pop up in the newspaper ad touting the same thing.
I think marketing/PR strategy is key but there should be a governing body that looks at into how truthful certain ads are. It is obvious here that there is a big discrepancy in what is happening for real. This ad was obviously done to mislead consumers not inform them. That is why I really hate seeing ads with * and “Up to” monikers – they are just an excuse for companies to exploit consumers.
driftracer85 says:
I have no issue with Smart Bro. Make sure you select HSDPA 850 Mhz (if this is available in your area).
I can download torrents up to 200 kBps. Limewire can run smoothly at 130 kBps, which can reach up to 240 kBps.
driftracer85 says:
Also, when comparing speeds, it would be best to compare similar signal types. HSDPA vs. HSDPA, or EDGE vs. EDGE, otherwise, results are not accurate. Also, another good comparison would be the availability of HSDPA signal.
Andrew says:
Just like AT&T and Verizon in U.S. which Telco having more 3G sites smart or globe? If I’m Globe, there is a lawsuit for that Ad by Smart. LOL!
Fred says:
“I think Sun is the fastest and most consistent here in the Metro – going outside Metro Manila is a different case though.”
SUN is definitely more consistent and cheaper (for their postpaid)
That’s why SUN don’t advertise such things. They only advertise Metro-wide and 3 cities in Rizal province.
If people are able to get signal outside of Metro Manila and the 3 cities in Rizal, should just consider that as a ‘bonus’.
mindyq says:
@Fred
SUN is consistently slow.
luiboowee says:
Another things:
SmartBro speedtest was done in its corporate building along Ayala. Isn’t they have a cell site on top of that buidling? As we all know, internet speed varies on your location. :D
Essays.ph says:
And the winner is….
SUN CELLULAR BROADBAND @_@
Reel Advice says:
@mindyq
Reel Advice says:
@mindyq
I use a Sun plug-it as my backup and it never failed me. My sister bought both Smart and Globe plug-its and both perform like hell at our house. It could be our location but Sun has always been consistent where ever I go in Metro Manila.
rico says:
i use BANDWIDTH MONITOR v3.4.
highly recommended for checking your realtime per second incoming/outgoing kilobytes from your pc.
per second ang metering nya at may graph pa.
speedtest.net may not be accurate but its close to kilobytes that you are getting from donwload/upload activity.
i also sync and compare bandwidth monitor to orbit downloader (downloading time stats). the stat figures were close to each other.
even ung (chrome,opera,firefox) browser downloading approx, ok din.
i dont know with wirelessbro/globe. but i am a happy bayanDSL customer. i do get max 90kb/sec averaging speed (for my 768kbps starter plan) for some sites. and 150kb/sec average download speed during offpeak hours (thats 1.2mbps maxed out).
garuhhh says:
“I think Sun is the fastest and most consistent here in the Metro – going outside Metro Manila is a different case though.â€
too bad sun cellular broadband is not yet available in the provinces :(
interesting post! :D
seo articles says:
i am using sun mobile broadband. I find its performance very decent and with unlimited internet, this service is far better than the other two mobile internet provider.
herbert says:
Parang Verizon vs ATnT war lang ah.
drealmarlon says:
opo maganda ang sun broadband.
yung download ko sa internet download manager
umaabot ng 900kbps tapos yung download rate umaabot sa 3mbps.
meron pa akong test sa 2wire.com umabot ng 9.5mbps
check nyo videos ko sa youtube with tags of “sun broadband”.
sherwin says:
@Andrew, have you seen the ads there states wherein directly tinitira ng Comcast ang Verizon Fios? I like it there in the states when it comes to Ads sa TV. Diretchahan ang tirahan and no law suits, unless you speak something for the other party which is not true. Pag subjective lang ang tira, lusot ka.
the ad by smart is unfair, they probably used the Smart/PLDT server in speedtest.net. Smart/PLDT, having no local peering with other telcos here in the Philippines means that Smart/PLDT’s broadband is on-net to their speedtest.net host and Globe’s will have to go around the international route to get to Smart’s server. PSRC as being mentioned there should have stated that in the test/Ad. Misleading kase.
PinayOnlineMoneyMaker says:
I completely agree with you. I knew that SpeedTest is not reliable because it only measures burst speeds. That’s why when I first saw that commercial, I was like, they’re lying to everyone! Most probably, they used PLDT test sites, which obviously will give them faster speed because they’re in the same network.
From reports and observations from my friends and people I know, though, I’ve heard more complaints against Globe Tattoo than Smart.
And, yeah, it will really depend on where you are. In our place in Cebu, Smart Bro has better signal than Globe Tattoo.
drew says:
sakin mas accurate ung 2wire and i lyk their new homepage. hehe depende yan talaga sa lugar e ang dami kasind interference now a days..
Marky says:
Sure, go for Sun. They say it’s upto 2MBps but the heck, akalain mong tama sila. 2MBps BURSTABLE SPEED. Inconsistent, it will just eat up your load. Like from 150kbps download speed, it will continue to deteriorate until it reaches 0. And kahit isang profile picture sa facebook di ka maka-upload. Iyak ang mga may DSLRs sa SBW.
At our province, (which happens to be Ilocos) Globe wins hands down. Although I think di pa ako nakakasagap ng HSDPA signal, malakas ang HSUPA signal and consistent given na our ancestral house is located on a valley, beside 2 mountains (who knows kung may cellsite ang globe sa bundok haha).
Never tried Smart Bro Plug-it. Aside from my bad experience sa Smart Bro Canopy nila, wala pang free unlitxt for every 30 load haha
petken says:
Sun is not reliable. I’ve been using it for a month now and consistent speed that I get is only 200-250Kbps. Usually during the 1st few minutes, my speed is faster but after 20-30minutes of surfing the speed is consistent at 200-250Kbps. I tried calling Sun but the CSRs are always saying the same scripted answers for slow connections and that 200-250Kbps is a tolerable speed. Sabi ko akala ko ba up to 2Mbps plus I have full HSPA signal and they just kept on saying the same old script of the factors affecting the speed etc everytime I call. I think the telcos should not be advertising “UP TO” 2Mbps/1Mbps/512Kbps/384Kbps/etc because it is like fooling everyone. They should state the right speed that they could only provide. They should advertise “AS LOW AS” 1Mbps/512Kbps/384Kbps/etc.
nanayMo says:
Advertising and Gullibility are corresponding ends of the consumer meter. There is no such thing as “truth” in advertising. If ever, it only gets twisted and the celebrity endorser (BTW, I hate Mo Twister)has nothing substantial to offer save flashing his teeth.
User experience (mine)with mobile broadband hovers between stomping that dongle underfoot and impaling those advertisers along with their toothy endorsers. XD….XD….XD
IC DeaDPiPoL says:
When it comes to torrents Sun will fail, else its far more stable compared to the other two (using a Nokia phone as a modem Globe had pretty spotty connectivity while Smart often suffered from random times where no data would be flowing)
Sun > Smart Bro > Globe
deuts says:
Very well said Yuga. It all boils down to user experience. I have tried both (Smart/Globe), actually I own both, and depende talaga sa lugar.
@petken, 200-250Kbps, I think that’s already fast enough! Gusto mo ba ng 0?
Jhong Medina says:
Very informative Yuga. I’ve tested sun, globe, and smart… in terms of speed it will really vary on areas. There are areas where Sun will be faster that globe and smart. Bottom line, before buying those internet provider, you should survey your area, try asking your neighbor about there experience.
Calvin says:
dapat talaga mobile broadband providers will give a money back guarantee pag di satisfied sa service.
oo nga pala, nice long post for somebody who’s in bicol. wala bang magawa dyan? hehehe.
Lezuric says:
I actually have both Smart and Globe internet kit.. Im from Gumaca in Quezon Province.. all I can say is.. they’re both slow and really useless here in our place. I get less than 56kbps.. :> not really good even for facebook.
The Teknisyan says:
very well explained… plus the commercial of smartbro… still has a lot of factor to consider… like signal and location.
Anyhow… thanks for a very informative post!!!
simplynice93 says:
I have working as a network and computer technician for quite some time now. Let me advice you all about the truth in broadband internet here in the Philippines.
When ISPs (Smart, PLDT, Globe, etc.) offer up to 2Mbps or 5 Mbps, they are actually telling you is the PIR (Peak Information Rate). But what you really need to know is the CIR (Committed Information Rate). What is the CIR? It is the average bandwidth guaranteed by your ISP under “normal” conditions. “Normal” means peak hours internet speed (usually daytime). Ask your ISP about your CIR speed. Magugulat kayo lahat! It’s usually 128kbps (or 258kbps) if you choose the basic plan. Sobrang bagal! Hope that helps! :-)
biggie9385 says:
i really like the congress to investigate this “up to #mbps” style of the ISPs. This is another big scam in the level of the lagacy banks. Hehehehe! I noticed that everytime i call Smart hotline, they will try to have me test using speedtest.net. But last time, I let them have their choice. I tested my speed thru speedtest.net connected to QC server and it really reported a very slow connection. The next thing the tech support guys (not the robot script reading support) asked me to do was test using the Singapore server. I was shocked because, QC is nearer to my place than Singapore. :D Luckily, very slow pa rin. :D Right now, I can ask Smart to call me the next day when I have a slow connection. And they really call me. Hehehehe!
llewon17 says:
Agree to the fact that Speedtest.net gets the maximum bandwidth obtained. BUT USING 2WIRE.COM OTHERWISE???? I DON’T THINK SO… 2Wire.com is much more not reliable in checking for speedtests. Our company has a 12Mbps speed yet 2wire measured it @ 25Mbps. Is that what you called reliable as the article suggests??? THINK AGAIN, MEN!!!
Neil says:
I think the better way to test the speed of the connection is to do an actual test on both smartbro and globetatoo and see which one is faster and better
Ernie says:
I got dizzy with all the comments regarding broadband speed. What I did gather from all those comments is the importance of location. So eto na lng, I live in Project 8, QC. Has anyone tried all three telcos (Sun, Smart, Globe)in this area? Ano pinakamabilis? I’m planning to get Sun, but I want to be sure. Can anyone help me out?
Cmdr73 says:
para makakuha ako ng pinaka accurate bandwidth test gumagamit ako ng bandwidth monitoring + by using the testmy.net set at 50mb download test then compare the result of bandwidth monitoring and testmy.net that they are too close almost 95% accurate i think
Kyle says:
Iba kac ang Broadband Speed sa Transfer Rate or download speed. I’ve read a comment before na 200-250kbps lang something. I think may point dun ung sun cell kac most users nagsasabi or iniisip na kung 2mbps ang broadband speed eh 2mbps din ung speed na makikita pag nag dodownload sila. Which is wrong, Transfer rate po un hndi un ung broadband speed. Hindi ko lang talga alam kung bakit ba talga 2mbps ang pinapakita tapos ang transfer rate eh hndi naman tugma sa broadband speed,napaka misleadng.Regarding sa post na to, agree ako sa sinsabi ni sir yuga. hndi talga reliable ang speedtest.net when it comes to getting the average speed of an internet connection
v3xat10n says:
in my case, smart is the fastest due to strong signal, but i hate smart, mag nanakaw kasi ng load… how i wish na malakas signal ng sun dito
SpeedDemon says:
Sana Eastern Communications would come up with a USB broadband access too. You will never go wrong with them.
Jake says:
im using Smart Bro prepaid..im very satisfied! mabilis sya..i can download 800mb torrent movies in 4 hours..sulit tlga..mabilis din s INTERNET BROWSING..
john says:
If you need real bandwidth test. Try iperf. It’s is the usual tool in the wireless world for bandwidth testing. You have an option to send tcp or udp, a single stream of data, or multiple stream (think torrent).
The catch? both ends of the link must be running iperf.
Jmoi says:
SMART user here. cool ang connection sken. way better than Globe. :P
terra says:
what would i say? GO SMARTBRO. im so so satisfied with their service.:p
karren says:
same here. good flow of connection with smartbro.:)
terra says:
yeh yeh.:)
mykel says:
choos d les poisonous frm d 3 known telcos. choos telco with less subscribers & ul get hi-spid. if ur on mobile, just take d risk, expect worst. u can hir frm dem but u wil not always get wat u want, inconsistent. anyway it wil be al d same bananas, all poisons, but different kind.
;-)
rhye 18 says:
in my own opinion, i dont agree with smartbro is saying that they have the fastest broadband against other competitors… i have a cousin that switched over from smart bro to suncell and finally stayed with globe tatoo. coz, one rainy morning ( not that heavy rain ) smart and suncell has the same result, slow connection, and also they have a huge pine tree right next to their backyard and sometimes they say that it is the pine tree that is blocking the signal but when she started using the globe tatoo, even that big pine tree has no match because she can connect with no hassle, she is also downloading a song that time… and why is smart saying that they are the top choice by some computer brands and yet there is no ad that those computer brands are choosing smartbro is their top choice and not the other competitors? i bought an asus laptop with a broadband as a part of the package. i saw in the advertisement that asus is one of the brands that uses smartbro but they gave me globe broadband? so can smart explain these scenario? so if smart is saying that they has the widest coverage, well better think twice…
Glenn says:
I tried using Sun broadband (prepaid) here in Albay with 1 day unlimited. It works! but what I got is EDGE signal :( it is worst than GPRS 15-30 kbps and is intermittent. I have to reconnect after 2-3 minutes because the connection speed dips to 0 kbps. SUn is truly useless here in the province. I’ll switch back when 3G / HSDPA signal is already available meantime SMARTBro would still be the best option.
magoo says:
waaaah….im here at venezia in subic….lakas ng WCDNA signal ng globe tatoo…..pero sobrang bagal……..nelp globe….fastest to drain my load…waaah.goota go..baka maubos losd ko…
nalcolm says:
actually wala yan sa speedtest. nasa ping yan. kung pldt ka type mu sa run www.yahoo.com -t ang regular ms mu dapat is 220ms to 250ms. Kung more than that may problem si pldt.
Albert says:
Globe Tattoo or Smart Bro? I think its better to resort to a wired internet connection if you wanted consistent speed. Based on experience, these things are useful only on e-mails, not on videos.
jaesiz says:
connected ako sa postpaid ng globe, ung 999 maayos naman ang speed sa una, kaya lang habang tumatagal, nagiiba ang speed depende sa oras, sa gabi na lang siya mabilis. mga 700 mb na lang pag mid day… kung technical problem un, tagal naman na ayusin.. 5 mbps ang speed na allocated para dito… paano ko po kaya gawing consistent ang internet speed kahit peak or off peak hours?,.. any idea there please?