5 things to consider before getting a wireless broadband internet

Wireless internet broadband has been a popular service for those who can’t get a wired internet subscription. It’s easy to subscribe to, quick to deploy, and sometimes cheaper than the wired alternative. However, there are caveats, and here are five of them.

1. Speed is inconsistent.

Given that you’re receiving your internet connection via signal instead of wires, speed will not always be consistent and often you won’t get the internet speed you’ve subscribed to. And since you are receiving your internet connection wirelessly from a base station, you will also experience times during the day when speed is extremely slow. This is more likely because that base station is serving plenty of other users as well.

2. Susceptible to downtime.

In the past years that I have been using wireless internet as my primary connection, I have noticed I get more downtime compared to when I was just using wired internet. The most common reason for a downtime (or very slow internet connection), as told by customer service representatives, are “system maintenance” or “system enhancement” being done in your area.

3. Bad weather can ruin your connection.

Since you’re using an antenna to receive signal from the telco’s base station, it’s important that it is always positioned in that direction. Bad weather conditions such as typhoons can put your antenna out of alignment or sometimes gets knocked down. In addition, the antenna needs to have a clear line of sight from the base station so tall buildings or trees can be a problem.

4. Data is heavily capped.

As of the moment, only high-end wired internet plans offer unlimited data and we’re yet to see this for wireless. Data caps for wireless connections are strictly implemented not just on a monthly basis but also daily. And once you have reached your cap, you will either get a slower internet speed or you get disconnected depending on your ISP.

5. Antennas are not always a pretty sight.

As mentioned earlier, wireless internet connections need antennas which are attached to a pole secured with wires. These are then placed on the roof of your house which is not exactly aesthetically pleasing, compared to wired connections which are often less obvious.

And that sums it up. So if you’re planning to get a wireless broadband internet, consider some of these cons before subscribing. If you’re not okay with these then it’s best to get a wired connection if possible.

Diangson Louie

This article was written by Louie Diangson, Managing Editor of YugaTech. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

https://www.yugatech.com

11 Comments

Arkaye says:

8 years ago

Also include that wireless internet tends to be on a shared IP address which brings a lot of problems in itself.
- Reply
willard says:

8 years ago

Anu ba ang the best na wireless broadband?
- Reply
Juan says:

8 years ago

Given these things to consider, which provider would you recommend?
- Reply

Louie Diangson says:

8 years ago

It still depends on your location. I advice asking neighbors who use the service about their experience before getting a subscription.

momoy says:

8 years ago

I get #4 with my WIRED Globe biz plan, its crazy. I think the cap is 8Gb
In our are, PLDTs wired connection is very unreliable, you get only 1/4 of the speed you paid for.
- Reply
wtf says:

8 years ago

no matter what the press release of pldt/smart/tnt/sun and globe/tm/cherrymobile/abs-cbnmobile pounding their chests that the philippines has 4g connection, we still live in a country with unreliable wireless service. clearly, having only 2 telcos in the country is not good. we need competition to improve service…
- Reply

Freemarket for whom? says:

8 years ago

Competition? There’s some truth to it yes, BUT didn’t we had enough example to go by? How much is the gasoline? Electricity bill, water, whathaveyous? Still not enough competition? – then sell off the country even more. Private companies care all about profit. Competition makes things cheaper? Yeah in textbooks, and among sari-sari stores, BUT in a captured market such as communication and all public utilities – never! All this monstrous companies can easily connive and suck the blood out of people. With the INUTIL agency known as NTC (and the like), and clowns in the congress, and malacañang. Public Utilities should be owned by the public (that’s why it’s not called private utilities) – the government, a good one. Simply put, government can even only pass the cost (and not make profit) to consumers since it’s ours. Private company is driven by profit. Free-market, unregulated they dictate the price. Remember, people of the Philippines used to own PLDT, Meralco, Petron, etc. Let’s see in a few days/months if change is really coming.

Carl says:

8 years ago

Currently using Globe Tattoo. So far I’m happy. Regarding item #4, I get unlimited internet but I pay 3000 for it. =(
- Reply
Gil says:

8 years ago

I have a globe wimax the only downtime was on ot’15 no connection for almost a month
- Reply
IANVARIVS says:

8 years ago

I only experience the fourth one… 7 GB a day. Ever so small for the streaming age.
- Reply
Easy E says:

8 years ago

Therefore, the quality of service (whatever the network is) is soooo low. So avoid a fixed wireless broadband service. Get a wired service (dsl/ cable/ fiber) if available.
- Reply