With the introduction of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on Smart’s postpaid plans, the telco has also imposed data caps on mobile internet. This was recently revealed during their announcement of the new postpaid plans.
What used to be Unli Data Plan 2000 and Unli Data Plan 3000 has been changed to reflect the data caps.
Both postpaid plans are now just Data Plan 2000 with 10GB cap and Data Plan 3000 with 18GB cap, shedding the term unli altogether. For the dedicated iPhone Plan 999, the monthly cap is 3.5GB while iPhone Plan 1799 has 8GB monthly data allocation.
Once the data caps are reached, subsribers are still able to access the internet but it will be crippled or limited to surfing only as downloads, streaming (YouTube, Spotify, Deezer, etc), and P2P (torrents) will be blocked.
These new plans come with every new subscription of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. We are not sure yet if other data plans like the Galaxy Note 4 also reflects the new imposed data caps.
However, old subscribers who were signed up for the Unli Data plans will still have unlimited mobile internet. Unless, of course, they recontract or renew their plans to the new scheme.
We have yet to confirm if the old Unli Data plans will still be continued to be offered or be phased out in favor of the new capped Data Plans.
A few months back, subscribers have been complaining about data caps strictly imposed by Globe as well as the issue on their Fair Use Policy.
It looks like Smart has followed the same mechanics with putting in place the data caps.
Smart representatives have categorically stated in press releases that their network is able to accomodate the growing data consumption of their subscribers so we are puzzled why they have opted to put data limits this time around.
You can check Smart’s fine print on the Data Plans for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus here to see the data allocation for mobile internet.
Able to accommodate is not the same as willing to accommodate. They will short out the end users to ensure max profits. Without a cap, all those terabytes of bandwidth riding on the backbones will have to be paid for from their bottomline costs. Too bad…that’s why PI has the worst internet rating. #itsmorefuninthephilippines
They say that because they know they are capping it! DUH! corruption at its finest.
Your wild guess is as good as everybody else including myself.
Hi! I have an existing unli data plan with smart @ plan 999. So if I don’t renew my contract which expires dec 2015, they cannot revert me to the new data allocation plan without my consent? Or they will eventually phase out even old unli data plans? Hope someone enlightens me on this. Thanks!
Hello guys. Kindly share your experience with the new data cap scheme being implemented by Smart. Without clear explanations from their CSR’s, I’m really bothered about my usage (I have a new iPhone Plan 999 with 3.5GB and All Month Surf).
I really don’t want to be in a position wherein I will complain later (due to overcharging) because either way these guys will just be basically saying that I should s*ck it up and pay my bill. Thus, I have some inquiries and if you have helpful info, kindly share for the benefit of all:
1. Basically (as so many have noted) browsing and streaming requires downloading of bits and bytes from the internet. How then does Smart distinguish between browsing and streaming? Is this app specific? Is this website specific?
2. If I use Safari or any other browser to browser Youtube or other video sites? Is this different from streaming from the standalone youtube app or any other video streaming app?
3. Smart’s CSRs claim that email is not affected by the cap. How about downloading attachments from email accounts? Given attachments can be tens or even hundreds of MBs in sizes (with appropriate services). Email is supposedly a secure connection (Smart or Globe will only know that the user is connected to the email server or private servers hosting attachments), if they will be able to distinguish activities under secure connections so as to charge us then I believe they are already in breach of our rights to privacy.
The above really is to clarify what is the boundary between the GB ALLOTMENT and the ALL MONTH SURF component of the plan. This is a really, really gray area. If they cannot explain this clearly (given how interconnected, intertwined, complicated the internet is), then they should bring back their UNLI DATA Plans (at best) or just point blank implement the CAP (at worst, however they should at least be more generous with the GB).
Answers. Clarifications. Please. Thanks.
This is also my confusion. Do you already have an answer? I hope you can share. Thanks!
grabe! ang mahal mahal na ng internet sa pinas! lahat gusto mag data cap! yng 2 telcos natin gusto tayong gatasan ng husto. lalong lumala ang condition ng internet natin dito simula nuong nabulgar! wala na ba tayong magagawang mga consumers? ang gobyerno ba natin wala na rin magawa? necessity and basic right na ang internet, bakit nag kaganito?
HI~ I called smart costumer service earlier and they told me na hnd daw ksali pa sa data cap limit yung iphone 6 plan ko na naactivate last dec 2014. Sabi nila unli surf pa daw yun kaya nalilito ako if unli surf or not~ Data Plan 2499 na may 15Gb per month for downloads tpoz sabi nila unli nmn daw kc implemented daw un Jan 2015 pa
10GB and 18GB is what they say on the marketing page.
If you click buy now it’s actually 2000 for 9GB and 3000 for 10GB.
Bait and switch.
Someone should sue them.
Guys, I think we should file a class action lawsuit. The petitions are not working. May mga lawyers naman cguro na affected sa capping na to. Need your expertise on this matters mga lawyers.
You know what? This is a new form of corruption.
This is bad pero at least they are out and not deceitful.
I personally have a globe lte broadbank subscription which is supposedly uncapped 2mbps (plus a very useful landline bundle) when I first applied.
Recently- I am always capped at just around 512kbps. It used to be ok- now not so much anymore.
I wish globe would at least let us know of any capping- like when we reach a daily amount etc. But quite doubt that they should cap me since I have not really been a heavy bandwidth user recently.
Punitin and ating mga sedula @ tyo’y mgakalas wag mtkot mkibaka in memory of our st jen laude
pano na kaming matuwid na tao na nag download ng movies para ibenta??
Out of Topic here, ISP’s have the ability to block certain websites! For example, When I was in the U.K. I’ve tried to access a certain torrent site but, its blocked by that ISP (for my safety, I’m not going into specifics). Should our ISP ‘s have the ability to block certain websites, our Internet speed might increase to 4 – 6 Mbps; Huge improvement! The downside, illegal content (such as movies or games) might not be available…..
Seriously? I really doubt NTC and even the senates are responsible for this.
After the PDFAC scam (without any relation to this thread), they are now targeting this.
Why? Me for example, who consumes >50GB/month of data previously costs me around Php999/month (Globe UnliSurf999) + Php 599 (UnliCall&Text – Globe-to-Globe). But with the new imposed plan would double my cost plus only having a limit data consumption of 20GB/month. Oh, Calls and SMS transactions aren’t yet included. Thus were not unlimited, if I would go for Smart.
When was Internet been a property of a country? Sure Internet services costs the ISP, but come on. Piracy, Torrent, P2P, etc., are part of the Internet right now – so what gives? Are we breaking the law or should I say gaining any profit from it? Ask the majority.
Mind you there’s more into this scheme.
Magdusa raw tayo sabi ng isang anak ng telco exec/stockholder ng mga telco na itatago natin sa pangalang Anthony.
The data inclusions (3.5 GB for 999) is separate from the “all month surfing” dapat. Meaning we still get unlimited but not including torrents and streaming which from what i understand falls under 3.5GB. Way better deal than Globe’s 5GB IMO!
Sir, pano yung pag download ng apps sa play/app store? isasama din ba sya sa 3.5 GB?
So eto solution nila sa mabagal na internet sa Pinas. Instead of improving their infrastructure, ilimit ang usage ng consumers. Anyway wala naman choice ang mga tao kahit magcomplain. Salamat sa oligopoly.
Is this also applicable with the Smart Prepaid LTE?
No, this is only for postpaid accounts. Prepaid accounts don’t have any cap.
I dont think this is only in the Philippines.
Even in US, they have lower data limit.
torrent has been a major issue among US carriers.
Torrent is an issue everywhere but unless the Governments closed those torrent sites and declare the use of torrents illegal, it is fair game for everyone to use torrents.
Sure there is data limit in North America (USA) but it is a customer’s choice/option. For instance, I have an 80 GB limit that I use at home but I could go to 100 GB or unlimited if I wanted to. I never heard such a thing as ‘internet capping’ in North America or Europe.
Internet capping is just a ‘band aid’ solution by the Telcos. The solution is for Phil. Telcos to improve their infrastructures to handle the heavy internet traffic.
Absolutely not. They blamed torrent but they got investigated by the FCC and it was discovered that torrents were less than 1% of their traffic.
So they got told to stop selling “unlimited” with caps.
Nakakabuset yang data cap na yan, android games pa lang ang lalaki na, video streaming ilang oras lng, paano pa pag download ng movies, nagbabayad tau ng pagkamahal2 tapos may data cap, pakshet talga, onli in da pilipins!
Lol. Halos 1Gb pataas na mga games na dina download ko. Tapos di pa kasama video streaming which, like what someone said, is equivalent to downloading (nasa temp folders yung videos, lol). Hay naku, abroad na nga lang.
You are downloading > 1GB of games everyday? Okay…
di naman siguro everyday pero 1 gb? anung klaseng games? flash games maybe or those 2d side scrollers which i love btw pero the usual current games reaches up to 8 to 12 gb or more.
Lol, ang mura at bilis ng internet ng pilipinas.
we can’t allow this! who knows when all three Companies starts capping DSL internet! DO NOT ALLOW THIS PEOPLE! D:
grabe naman pag yun pa thinrottle nila… tsk
meron na po sa globe,
sa 1299 landline at 3mbps na internet is 7gb a day,
at pag na reach na yung cap 1mbps na ang speed at rerenew after 24hrs.
pero minsan 2days pa bumalik haay
Dapat di kasama ang deezer… Kasi mayroong monthly premium fee yun na 250php. So kapa naubos mo na yung data mo sa ilang araw pa lang, forfeited na yung binayad mo sa deezer. Dapat irefund nila yun pag ganun.
Capping torrent p2p is the right way because this illegal anyway. You will still have unli data just limited compare to globe 2G wahahaha..
who says torrent is illegal? I think you mean downloading pirated contents using torrent?
Yup you are correct but lets not be hypocrite. What you download in torrents are mainly pirated video music books games and other pirated things. Ithink with this move smart is helping the entertainment/music industry in fighting piracy.
Let’s not be ignorant. There are many online games that allow you to download the client through p2p. Not to mention linux os releases. I dont think you understand how p2p works, it is a great thing to save bandwidth instead of all connection going to the same server making the downloads slow. 18gb would severely limit the capability to get games and upgrades. Couple that with hd streaming, downloading gamss through steam origin battle. Net uplay gog etc. How about streaming sites that you pay for? Streaming is like downloading it eats up as much bandwidth
Correct again but I think Steam doesn’t use P2P. And there is always another of downloading this legit file aside from torrent. Lets be honest most of the people that will complain of the 18Gig capping for torrent are those downloading series and movies.
Pak u ka anthony wag ka nga magmalinis…
You’re completely clueless with the Internet society. YOu’re nothing but an end user blinded with the capitalist ideologies that everything should be paid… For sure you are now ironically enjoying open source software like your browser and other apps because that “free as beer” initiative of Open Source INternet is what keeps these P2P rolling. Don’t be naive
LOL. DLoading series even its illegal. GoT produces dont complain. Tss. They even loved it.
Wag magmalinis. As if you buy naman music from iTunes or watch at Netflix or buy CDs. Uso paba ang DVD rom ?
@Ish – maniwala ka jan sa anthony na yan, # 1 na nango2pya yan ng series para may mapanood lol, maxado magmalinis o baka naman di nya lang alam magdownload ng torrent lol…
He already mentioned to get real and he is not trying to be clean himself.
antanga mo Anthony nagpupumilit ka pang lumusot sa una mong comment. ginamit mo pa pic ng anak mo na sasalo sa katangahan mo.
I agree that torrent should be made illegal here in the Philippines just like in other countries like US. But Data capping is not the solution, there are many free services like youtube, etc that uses high bandwidth. It should be the government making a move to prevent piracy in our country. Just saying..*flies away*
Ok lang if ayaw niyo maniwala sa mga sinasabi ko sa huli wala naman kayo magagawa kung gawin ni smart and globe ang gusto nila. Saan kayo lilipat saan kayo kukuwa nang net?? Magdusa kayo hahaha mga bopols!!!
Typical deailwithit na ugaling pinoy. Kaya patuloy ang panggugulang at pang aabuso ng mga telco sa atin. Buti may remedyo dito. Sana ma research yun ng mga nilait ni Anthony. Hihi.
Incorrect. I use p2p torrents daily and have never downloaded anything illegal.
So shush and go back under your rock where you belong.
Our area in Pasay sobrang bagal ng smart. Minsan G lang ang signal, H+ minsan 12kbps wtf?! I love smart and I want to use smart pero dahil sa signal no choice kundi mag-Globe. Haaayyyy
Seriously! Far better than Globe’s capping. An enormous 18GB. Hope Globe follow this before my renewal.
I believe that Globe is still better with Gosurf 999 you get 5GB after you’ve reached the 5GB you will not be throttled down you’ll just be paying at max 501 pesos. It’s like paying 1500 for true unlimited per month (uni surf,download,streaming etc).
????