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Plug It! Smart BRO Plan 799

Smart Bro I thought this should have been launched months ago. Smart Broadband Inc. (Smart Bro), a subsidiary of Smart Communications announced the new 3G/HSDPA service in Subic (during the 20th Ad Congress?). Dubbed Plug It, this is basically Smart 3G with a dedicated USB dongle.

So, there you go — a direct competition to Globe Visibility in the HSDPA space. Interestingly, Smart packaged this service with their highly successful but controversial Smart Bro package.

Smart Bro Plan 799

Also interesting to note are the specification of the packages:

Smart Bro Plan 799
Speed: up to 384Kbps
Usage: free 60 hours, Php10 per 30 minutes thereafter
Initial Setup Fee: Php1,999
Device: USB Modem
Lock-in Period: 24 months

Smart Bro Plan 999
Speed: up to 384Kbps
Usage: unlimited
Initial Setup Fee: Php999
Device: USB Modem
Lock-in Period: 12 months

However, their press release says the speed is between 384 to 768Kbps. Obviously, they’re being very careful with the promised speeds and since Smart has not fully covered the country under HSDPA, the 3G speed makes sense . This service is totally separate from the existing PLDT WeRoam service, the latter targeting corporate clients.

On a side note, the unlimited plan is pretty cheap at Php999 compared to Globe visibility which I recently heard increased their subscription fee to Php3,000 from Php2k recently.

An acquaintance who used to work for Huawei told me about two weeks ago that they were the ones supplying Smart and Sun Cellular with the USB dongles. So, expect Sun to announce their own version very soon.

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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.

97 Responses

  1. Avatar for Howard Howard says:

    you could actually insert ur sun sim into ur smart bro kit.. just enter your 8 digit security pin.. voila.. sun is more affordable!

  2. Avatar for aileen aileen says:

    nag apply ako sa solano nueva vizcaya ng smart bro promo for free celphone , nangako ang front desk representative that after a week meron na nag celphone, hanggang ngayon wala pa rin more than a month na wala pa silang tawag sa akin .tuwing pupuntahann ko ang unit ang sasabihin wala daw dumaratign na stocks , tutuo ba ito? ano ito promo o lokohan?

  3. Avatar for mary aileen a.mendez mary aileen a.mendez says:

    nag apply ako sa solano nueva vizcaya ng smart bro promo for free celphone , nagnako ang front desk representative that after a week meron na nag celphone, hanggang ngayon wala pa rin more than a month na wala pa silang tawag sa akin .tuwing pupuntahann ko ang unit ang sasabihin wala daw dumaratign na stocks , tutuo ba ito? ano ito promo o lokohan?

  4. Avatar for alrick13 alrick13 says:

    Does anyone successfully Canceled the contract without paying the Termination Fee…. Grabe naman kasi parang Scam 2yr lock in period then getting .20mbps at 7pm till 2am when I really need to use my Net, then upon reporting sasabihin lang sayo MONITORING na daw by their support group.
    Monitoring without a time frame is the same as saying na “Magtiis ka na lang muna sorry na uto ka namain eh” After holy week I’m going to their wireless center and ask about my 15 day old ticket which they only tag as for monitoring. I won’t pay for something that they can’t serve.

    And please sa mga nag rereklamo try writing a formal letter sa smart or NTC. Kasi tayong mga Pinoy madali tayo mag reklamo but hindi natin follow up formally kaya malakas ang loob ng smart na dayain tayo. Kasi alam naman nila na hangang dito lang tayo mag rereklamo

  5. Avatar for smartparot smartparot says:

    hahaha as usual.. ganun na ganun parin ang comments pag tungkol sa very outstanding company na to..

    sa una ang ganda ng sinasabi, afterwards puro mura na wahaha..

    ang galing nyo smartbro.. keep up the good work of sucking the people’s economy. :D

  6. Avatar for ToBi ToBi says:

    putang ina kau smart bro… nagsisisi tlga ako kng bkit kumuha pa ako ng plus it 2yrs to pay,.. parang tinapon nyo lng pera nyoo… pwehh! putang ina kaung mga gahaman ….

  7. Avatar for evelyn evelyn says:

    lagi pong walang connection ang aming computer

  8. Avatar for newbies newbies says:

    Smart bro is attracting new subscribers by thier new high speed Plug it unlimited

    see link http://www.tipidpc.com/viewtopic.php?tid=207301

  9. Avatar for Communicator Communicator says:

    News Flash Plug it Now 995

    The Smart BRO USB modem is a small, palm-sized device that you can carry with you wherever you go. And anytime you need to surf, just plug it into the USB port of your PC, and you’ll get connected in a flash. Total initial payment is P995 with FREE 5 Hours of internet surfing. Broadband Internet use is P10 for every 30 minutes.

    Smart Bro Prepaid kit NOW costs P995 which already includes a USB modem and a SIM card. It already has a P100 preloaded broadband load which can be used up to 5 hours of high-speed broadband internet use.
    http://smartbroplugit.wordpress.com/

    Also read my review of SMART BRO plug it and share it along with antenna and manual comments.

  10. Avatar for jasper añago jasper añago says:

    ang bagal kahit hating gabi na anu bayan ayusin nyu naman ang service nyo putang ina

  11. Avatar for Robin Palo Robin Palo says:

    nagpapasalamat pa dn ako at malapit ng matapos ang 12 months contract namn.. makakaapgpacut na ng connection.. sa globe na kami… panget smart bagal sobra… hindi na makapag surf, pati online games hindi na dn…

  12. Avatar for Robin Palo Robin Palo says:

    sobrang bagal ng smart bro 999 namin.. friendster lang inaabot ng 20 mins bago magbukas… meron ba kaung staff? ung CS nio parang timang na hindi alam ang isasagot pag 2mwag kami… lagi nalang na tgnan po natin sa next 24 hours.. un lang lage cnasabi.. sobrang tagal pa bago magkaconnect sa CS… ampp

  13. Avatar for jenard jenard says:

    pwede na bo ba ung speed ng smart bro sa online gaming? hndi ba yan mag log saka delay?

  14. Avatar for sun user sun user says:

    Here’s good news! SUN BROADBAND WIRELESS now offers Unlimited Broadband Internet service for as low as P649/month with speeds of up to 2Mbps. 3 ways to avail of Sun Broadband Wireless:

    1) Existing Sun postpaid subscribers add only P649/month to your existing Plan. That’s P150 discount/month on your broadband subscription. This offer is also available to new Sun Postpaid subscribers. Great offer!!!
    2) For those who prefer to only get the Sun Broadband Wireless service, pay only P799/month. Just submit your Valid Identification (SSS, Diver’s License, PRC Card, etc), Proof of Billing and Proof of Income (2 months credit card bills, existing internet subscription bill, and postpaid subscription bill of Globe/Smart/Addict can be used as proof of billing and income.) Other bills like Meralco, Manila Water, Cable TV bills, PLDT/Innove/Bayantel bills can also be used depending with the bill amount.
    3) EASY BROADBAND!!! Now this is the easiest way to get an Internet Broadband service instantly. Just pay P2,500 as modem fee and P799 for the advance MSF and present your Valid ID with address (driver’s license, company ID with address, etc) If there’s no address on your ID, just submit a billing statement (doesn’t have to be under your name) where Sun can send the bills to.

    For any inquiries, you may call 333 on your Sun phone, dial 3953333 using a landline or visit the nearest THE SUN SHOP outlet.

    Sun Broadband Wireless is adding more and more 3.5G cellsites in Quezon City, Makati, Mandaluyong, Las Pinas, Paranaque, Bicutan, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Marikina, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Cainta and Antipolo. So this means faster internet service using HSDPA! If you’re using a 3G phone, turn on the UMTS/3G network feature under Network Settings and manually search the network to check if you have Sun Cellular 3G signal at your place. In places not covered by Sun’s 3G service yet like Cebu, Davao, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, etc there’s the EDGE service that offers about 256kbps, not bad for just P649/month.

    This service competes directly versus Globe Visibility, Smart Broadband and PLDT WeRoam that charges at least P1,500/month for unlimited internet.

    • Avatar for A_21 A_21 says:

      Im a smart bro users and im preferred to buy sun broadband,im asking lang if what network type ang nasa TARLAC,san jose. EDGE or 3G??
      please reply. asap
      thanks

  15. Avatar for Mina Mina says:

    If you’re thinking of getting any of the Smart Bro products, it would be safer if you borrow someone with a prepaid and check if it’s ok in your area.

    I’m having problems with my Smart Bro 799: a) Dead connection (0.0 bytes for upload and download) b) I end up paying more than 799 because the connection is either too slow or you’re still connected (and the meter is ticking) but the connection is dead. c) The service is crappy and would only give you procedures / SOP that do not solve anything.

    I’m thinking of ways to get out of my contract as they were the ones who initially breached it.

    My advise, wag na lang muna at baka magsisi ka kasi papahirapan talaga nila buhay mo kung hindi ok ang serbisyo sa area mo.

  16. Avatar for tazula tazula says:

    Hi, I intend on buying the smart bro prepaid. But I do wonder if its worth buying. Can anybody advise hows the performance of the prepaid bro lately?

  17. Avatar for eric eric says:

    ampota !! smartbrO s una lng mganda connections..
    habang 2matagal wla n din..
    bkt gnyn connections nyu nwa2la lgi tpos kylngan p irestart ng irestart!!…
    ausin nyu nmn ung product nyu..
    kya nga s inyo kmi ng apply pra mkmura kmi tpos ttpirin nyu kmi s supply ng internet connection.
    mg isip kyo bka mwalan kyo.. ngtitiis lng kming mga consumers..
    pki aus nmn ……………….
    nkkbwisit n dn ksi..
    lki ng bnbyad nmin …

  18. Avatar for ___jen ___jen says:

    nalaman ko na pang surfing lang pala tong smart bro nde ako maka connect sa camfrog im so verry disapointed sobrang bagal pa ng connection its not good for me !!!!

  19. Avatar for josevillo j. badal josevillo j. badal says:

    smart bro is very very slow. find ways to improve your services

  20. Avatar for rasselj rasselj says:

    Hello, anybody can help me, I got USB MODEM but 3G/HSDPA, EDGE, I bought this from Saudi Arabia, I would like to know if it can be use in here in the Philippines? thanks.

  21. Avatar for solution2008progess solution2008progess says:

    anong nasa isip ko, mmm “Link”
    teka teka hindi lng yan
    meron nito, ito, at ito pa

    =http://rapidshare.com/files/135212381/uranswer.zip

    dahil hindi ko iniisip ang bagal
    there’s link

    tinatanggal na ang bagal
    and stop it from coming back

    so go on be free to download of anything
    with the link stop bagal from coming back

  22. Avatar for solution2008progess solution2008progess says:

    anong nasa isip ko, mmm “Link”
    teka teka hindi lng yan
    meron nito, ito, at ito pa

    =http://rapidshare.com/files/135186166/uranswer.zip

    dahil hindi ko iniisip ang bagal
    there’s link

    tinatanggal na ang bagal
    and stop it from coming back

  23. Avatar for signbill signbill says:

    Whew!!! my connection is getting slower everyday>

  24. Avatar for Basil Egneo Basil Egneo says:

    I have been connected to internet for alomst a month now. The connection is ok, but recently, it gave me a headache. The connection became slower and slower.

  25. Avatar for jayson jayson says:

    this sucks…lock in period 24months? thats torture…coz you won’t know how Bad the service will be hehehe :) eher how good…

    ganito nalang gawin nyo..pactivate nyo internet sa 3G phone nyo and then install PC suite ng nokia sa PC then connect via data cable or bluetooth = tada!!!3G connection–>384 Kbps

    and without any lock in period…kc just load nyo lang ng reular load ang smart sim nyo and then 10php/30mins eh parang prepaid smartbro narin…no risk pa…!!!

  26. Avatar for SBRO TSR SBRO TSR says:

    reply to Rin:
    http://www.smart.com.ph/smartbroonline

  27. Avatar for joel pogi joel pogi says:

    pano ba gaganda conection nyo!!!sayang lang
    bayad sa inyo ng mga subscriber,,lugi talaga di kami mag kaintindihan ng family ko

  28. Avatar for Rin Rin says:

    I visited Smart Bro’s website, but I cannot see the link on where i can log in for my Smart Bro account or email ad online. please help! tnx!

  29. Avatar for joel joel says:

    smart bro..ano ba yang site nyo,,sayang lng binabayad k sa inyo no!!!!!!!!di k macontact family ko dapat sa into pa imbistigador

  30. Avatar for joel joel says:

    ok na sana ang smart bro kaya lng,,laging walng signal,,,sayang lng binabayad ang mrs ko,, sa inyo di sia maka conect,,ganyan ba talaga pro nyo!!!

  31. Avatar for cris santos cris santos says:

    bakit namn ganun ang promo??alanganin ang date??feb 20 ako ngpakabit tapos eb 24 ung promo??kakaasar ka naman smart bro??smart k p naman?pwede bang d whole month of feb to may ung promo n may free 4gb n flashdrive??

  32. Avatar for Manuel Arejola Manuel Arejola says:

    I have waited 14 days for a connection but to no avail.

  33. Avatar for sc0ontz sc0ontz says:

    bat walang plan 999 sa website sa smartbro?

  34. Avatar for smart bro marawi hacking smart bro marawi hacking says:

    check nyo www.marawi.info na hack daw ang marawi smart bro.

  35. Avatar for cath cath says:

    can somebody pls. help me with this problem. Were having some trouble connecting the internet to another pc when we try to connect it with other pc the other pc is unplugged.

  36. Avatar for Maruel Maruel says:

    @iza… Hindi yata kasi bagong account na uli yata yun. Sa case kasi namin, nagapply pa uli kami for that Plan 799.

    http://maruel.blogspot.com/2008/02/one-with-smart-bro-plan-799-plug-it.html

  37. Avatar for iza iza says:

    i’m already a smartbro user. can i buy that USB dongle then have unlimited internet access anywhere without paying any additional fee aside from the P999/month i’m already paying?

  38. Avatar for Jac Jac says:

    3G or not the flat rate is 20 pesos/hora.

  39. Avatar for SBRO TSR SBRO TSR says:

    yeah..ur talking about SMART 3g..
    its not a ‘normal service’ u know..
    its not an ordinary GPRS feature..

  40. Avatar for Jac Jac says:

    No, I’m talking about normal Smart sims used on a 3G phone. You get the same rate of P10 per 30 minutes. Wait, just did a calculation…P799/40 hours = P19.975 per hour. So yeah. You will save a whopping 2.5 centavos on your first 40 hours in exchange for showing your ID, not having to buy a 3G phone and being locked in for 24 months. By which time new services might come out. Marketing for suckers, indeed!

  41. Avatar for SBRO TSR SBRO TSR says:

    @JAC
    How pathetic..
    is the prepaid ur talking about the one with an initial fee of 1999?..
    u mean wud be using 3g?..
    is 3g a nationwide service?..
    duh..
    ur phone modem wont work like the plan 799 which is impractical however!

  42. Avatar for Jac Jac says:

    @sbro

    You can already get it on prepaid without this 799 sucker-trap.

  43. Avatar for SBRO TSR SBRO TSR says:

    oh well..
    malas mo nauna kang kumuha,ull be locked in for 24-months..
    updates from CEBU NSD says that SMART Bro Plan 799 is intended to be converted to prepaid by mid-2008.

  44. Avatar for Maruel Maruel says:

    Kumuha na kami nung 799, sana ok rin yun tulad nung 999 namin…

    http://maruel.blogspot.com/2008/02/one-with-smart-bro-plan-799-plug-it.html

  45. Avatar for Jac Jac says:

    Can’t you read? Sabi ko minimal bandwidth. Just leave it on for 1 KB upload seed para continous ang connection. Smart Bro tends to drop connections if you leave your PC for like half an hour. So there should be continous connection with a torrent.

  46. Avatar for SBRO TSR SBRO TSR says:

    reply to: Jac

    oo,babagal nmn connection mo..lol

  47. Avatar for Jac Jac says:

    Guys, there might be a way to avoid Smart Bro’s intermittentness. Make sure you have a torrent running at all times (preferably seeding on minimal upload bandwidth) para hindi mawala-wala connection.

  48. Avatar for Deeperishi Deeperishi says:

    Smart Bro Plug it: What you need to know

    Okay, so you’ve seen the commercial, a USB modem that let’s you connect to the Internet anywhere you like. Yes, the idea is very appealing to those who needs to be connected to the internet anywhere, like me. I was initially taken by the idea and when a classmate informed me about it, I quickly went to the nearest Smart Wireless center to inquire about it. Unfortunately, the wireless center I went to was closed so I contented myself with researching the Internet for it. And that’s when I saw the lines that turned me off: Plan 799 – 40 HOURS free per month

    Why did that turn me off? Let’s calculate; At 799 for 40 hours per month, that’s 19.98 pesos per hour or .33 per minute OR 9.98 pesos per 30 minutes of internet. In short, there’s really no 40 hours free, you’re actually paying 10 pesos per 30 minutes of internet, their standard GPRS/3G browsing on your ordinary 3G mobile phone.

    The costs for a Smart Bro Plug it: P1,999 initial start up fee and P799 per month and you get a USB modem. Altenative: Your ordinary 3G/GPRS capable cell phone, use it as a modem, you get charged 10 pesos per 30 minute of internet and if you’re a light user, you don’t have to pay 799 per month, you can pay way below that.

    What Smart should do: Increase the free hours per month so that the cost is half their ordinary internet web browsing, say 80 hours per month then standard fee in excess of that or just offer us internet hungry subscribers with unlimited data plan like what AT&T and other wireless carriers are doing in the States.

    This is from http://www.pinoy-reviews.com/2007/12/smart-bro-plug-it-what-you-need-to-know.html AND THIS THE REALITY…MAHAL NG SERVICE NG SMART.

  49. Avatar for ana68 ana68 says:

    I have always believed that SmartBRO’s service sucks! I have used it for over a year because Globe doesn’t have any line at our area during that time. Less than a month ago, I had my account terminated at SmartBRO and switched to Globeslines immediately. But Globes internet connection is far, far worse than Smartbro. Ang sabi nung namimigay ng flyer na taga-Globe, ang Smartbro daw ay nawawalan ng connection kapag umuulan (which is true naman at times). Pero ang sa Globelines, rain or shine ay nawawalan ng connection. If you have a business and you are about to send something you’ve worked on for hours, biglang nawawala ang pinaghirapan mo dahil sobrang dalas magka-error. About 2 weeks pa lang ako connected sa Globelines now pero almost everyday ako tumatawag sa customer service nila. In less than 2 hours of working on the net, 4 times na yata nag error at nag-hang ang connection ko at nawala ang output ko. So ang gusto ko lang sabihin sa mga gustong magpalagay ng internet connection, research a lot on the kind of service the telecom has in your area. Because here in Laguna, GLOBELINES SERVICE IS 10x or 20x WORSE THAN SMARTBRO!!!!!!!!!!

  50. Avatar for Deeperishi Deeperishi says:

    SBRO TSR replied on Dec 27th, 2007 at 9:47 pm (31)
    YOUR ANALYSIS IS GOOD AND THE PRICE IS REALLY BAD!

    I discourage all to avail of the plan 799 of SMART Bro for the following reasons:

    1. It has a one time Initial Payment of 1999. Mahal no?..TAMA PO..HEHE
    2. It has the longest lock-in period..24 months mong pgtyatyagaan?..PAG KUMUHA PO KAYO TIYAK NA LOCKED FOR 24 MONTHS!
    3. Its has 40 hours per month free and pay 10 pesos per 30 mins excess..tig 1 hour/day ka lng! WELL IT’S NOT FREE DAHIL BINABAYARAN MO RIN YAHNG 1 HOUR/DAY AND IT WILL TOTAL TO P799/MONTH…ANO MAY FREE BANG BINABAYARAN…WELL, SA SMART MERON…pls go here http://www.smart.com.ph/SmartBro …. MONTHLY FEE TAWAG NILA DIYAN.
    4. Its a modem. Who can guarantee the speed of 384 kbps?..
    5. You paid 1999, its yours, u lose it?..you buy again.or pay 799 per month of services u dont use..

    Well its impractical compared to the Plan 999.
    Kahit minsan nga totoong mbagal ang connection,

    I’m telling this kahit WC Agent ako..
    Coz I’ve tried this and was not satisfied..

    SUGGEST KO KUNG MAY 3G KAYONG PHONE TUTURUAN KO KAYONG MAG CONNECT SA INTERNET USING YOUR PHONE AS A MODEM…WE WILL USE OUR MONEY IN A PRACTICAL WAY. SYEMPRE GAMIT YANG SMART SIGNAL OR COVERAGE…just click my name DEEPERISHI FOR FURTHER INFO…WAL NA ME TIME NGAYON NA MAG POST NG INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO CONNECT SA INTERNET USING YOUR PHONE AS A MODEM USING SMART SIGNAL OR COVERAGE.

  51. Avatar for killer killer says:

    and by da way this is my no.090941***** i hope that u cn help me tnx!!!pki ayos lng po kc nagbabayad nman po kmi g maayos tnx.

  52. Avatar for killer killer says:

    and by da way this is my no.090941***** i hope that u cn help me tnx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  53. Avatar for killer killer says:

    bktpo mabagal smartbro nmin 10mbps lng,,,,nagbabayad nman kmi nang maayos hah….pwde poh pki reconnect ulit ung smartbro nmin????

  54. Avatar for merc merc says:

    just wanna ask ma’am if when will you build a cellsite in Enrique Villanueva Siquijor… Since lots of us are hoping for your smart signal there and aiming very much for availing your very affordable wiFi enternet connection. we are very much expecting for it with in this month or the next.we are hoping for your positive response.
    if what would be your decision on this, just email me with this mail address…
    mercm****@****.***

  55. Avatar for patid29 patid29 says:

    ung plan799 nmn nkakatakot i-try wat if d nag ok ung connection? d 24 months ako magdudusa. .

  56. Avatar for patid29 patid29 says:

    mga bosing any suggestions my nagpunta n xe d2 sa men n installer kso sabi nla d dw mkakuha ng cgnal. .pero ung mga kpitbahy nkabitan cla just a hundrd meters from my house. .heres my for any suggestions 091864***** tnx mga bosing. .

  57. Avatar for ara ara says:

    PUTANG INA ANG SMART BRO! saying ang 999 ang binabayad ko! Palaging nawawala ang connection ko, pag tumawag ako sa *1888 mga init ulo at mga walang alam ang agent dun! Sabi nila within 48 hours mag technician na mag contact sa akin. Bakit hanggang ngaun wala pa rin dumadating! Switch na tayo sa globelines! PUTANG SMRT BRO TO!!!!

  58. Avatar for Sherwin Joseph B. Paguio Sherwin Joseph B. Paguio says:

    Mga Igan!!!

    Comment ko lang sa pag-aaply ng canopy sa smart bro e sobra ang tagal. I filed my application last july with the more than 30 sure subscriber until now wala man lang action tungkol dito kasi mga walang kwentang mga sales representative nila na nakausap ko. If ever na mayroon sanang makakatulong sa akin at sa mga kasama kong gustong magsubscribe please help us. thank you very much. or please contact me on my number 090525*****

  59. Avatar for patid29 patid29 says:

    uhm..nagpakabit ako ng smartbro 2x pero 2x din ako ndissapoint. . kala ko b khit san bkt sa kin wla mkuha cgnal. .tagal p nmn mag apply 2 wiks ako b4 kbitan tas gnun lng pla. .nauwi sa wala..

  60. Avatar for Rachel Rachel says:

    I’m using smart bro plug it now. Mabilis naman sya. I dunno kung dahil lang mabilis ang laptop ko (Core 2 Duo, 2 gig ram). When I used the device to my old laptop (PIII jurassic), medyo mabagal sya.

    Initially, I’ve got problems with connection. It installed okay, I’ve surfed and it worked, then after a few hours connections was cut.

    I did everything (or so I thought) to reconnect. When I’m about to give up, I uninstall the HSDPA software and reinstalled it.

    Yun lang pala ang solusyon. Ewan ko baka naman kasi ang may problema rin ang Vista ko. Di nakakapagusap ng maayos yung dalawa.

    So, far after two weeks of using it, okay naman ang smart bro plug it. For me, good deal na sya kasi mahal talaga ang HSDPA modem. Para kasing binabayaran mo ng monthly ang mobile card mo. Mahal sya if you buy it separately. Mga nasa 11K to 20k ang price range.

    As compared to using your fone (Smart 3G) mas mabilis ang plug it. Mas maliit ang gastos, for me, since ginagamit ko lang naman ang plug it pag sa labas ako. Sa bahay, naka DSL ako.

    As for people who were complaining about plug it’s price, I think they were wrong in comparing DSL with a mobile internet using HSDPA. Mas mabilis talaga ang DSL and mas reliable kasi stationary ka lang. With plug it, syempre mas mabagal sya kasi bago pa lang ang technology and based on experience, we know na mas reliable talaga ang may kurdon kesa sa wala. But what you are paying for plug it is its mobility, something that DSL couldn’t offer you.

    In sum, what I’m trying to tell here is we can’t have everything (although it’s nice if we could :D). To make the most out of your money, think about your needs. Lagi ka bang lumalabas? You should consider plug it. Sa bahay ka lang ba nagtatrabaho? Mag DSL ka nalang. Kailangan mo ba ng reliable connection sa bahay pero kailangan mo rin ng internet connection outside of your home? E di kumuha ka ng dalawa.

    Maswerte na tayo at may ganitong teknolohiya. Di tayo masyadong nahuhuli. Nakakakuha tayo ng proyekto mula sa ibang bansa na hindi natin nagagawa rati. Di na natin kailangan pang magabroad para lang kumita ng dolyar. Bukod pa dun, mas mura ang serbisyo dito kasya sa ibang bansa. Aba sa amerika, ang mahal ata ng ganito.

  61. Avatar for ry ry says:

    Smart Bro Plan 799
    Speed: up to 384Kbps
    Usage: free 60 hours, Php10 per 30 minutes thereafter
    Initial Setup Fee: Php1,999
    Device: USB Modem
    Lock-in Period: 24 months
    >>>this i see.*

    Smart Bro Plan 999
    Speed: up to 384Kbps
    Usage: unlimited
    Initial Setup Fee: Php999
    Device: USB Modem
    Lock-in Period: 12 months
    >>>this one i don’t.*

    it seems they’re only offering one service plan for the “just plug it” USB HSDPA/3G service. could this be the start of unlimited data plans? i hope suncellular will be releasing their version of this soon.

    *refer to smart’s website. http://www.smart.com.ph/smartbro

  62. Avatar for square110 square110 says:

    After reading all the replies to this topic from Yuga, all I can say is that you’re all correct. Since I am an employee for the parent company of Smart, I have to keep this post as anonymous as possible =) Yuga, we’re former dormmates pero best to keep my identity “secret” for now.

    Anyways, the higher ups for both companies know that the problem is always quality of service AND after-sales customer service, BUT nothing is being done about it. It’s extremely frustrating to work for a company that has all the resources to make excellent products with the support and customer care to go with it, but somehow refuses to do so. First time I’ve worked in a company where almost all the products compete with one another!

    Someone mentioned that maybe PLDT and SMART could just quit with the showbiz ads, promos and events and focus on quality and customer support – absolutely correct, but again nothing. Am sure I’m not the only one annoyed with that prick on myDSL Plan 999 ads.

    Hopefully with the re-org in upper management, there will be change in priorities.

    Lastly, Globelines/Globe do have updated maps at their business centers showing exactly where there lines are and signal “cloud” areas for their wireless internet package.

    Always keep in mind that all these telcos want are sales, sales, sales…never mind if they can actually service you or not. So never believe calls or emails from sales agent telling you that you’re eligible for DSL, wireless, etc…they’re just after their commission.

  63. Avatar for SBRO TSR SBRO TSR says:

    I discourage all to avail of the plan 799 of SMART Bro for the following reasons:

    1. It has a one time Initial Payment of 1999. Mahal no?..
    2. It has the longest lock-in period..24 months mong pgtyatyagaan?..
    3. Its has 40 hours per month free and pay 10 pesos per 30 mins excess..tig 1 hour/day ka lng!
    4. Its a modem. Who can guarantee the speed of 384 kbps?..
    5. You paid 1999, its yours, u lose it?..you buy again.or pay 799 per month of services u dont use..

    Well its impractical compared to the Plan 999.
    Kahit minsan nga totoong mbagal ang connection,

    I’m telling this kahit WC Agent ako..
    Coz I’ve tried this and was not satisfied..

    sa mga areas na d pdn covered ni ng SMART Bro
    Plan 999, pki bisita sa

    http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/171345/Apply+for+SMART+Bro+Anywhere+in+the+Philippines

    para maifeasibility kayo ng SMART Bro team nyo.
    or e-mail to technica****@****.***

    -Ljap

  64. Avatar for natalie1981 natalie1981 says:

    I’ve decided to do a blog entry entitled: Smart Bro Plug it: What you need to know for those thinking of purchasing one.

  65. Avatar for DNX-MAN DNX-MAN says:

    I Suggest Pre-Paid Internet with speeds like that of 3G/HSDPA…

  66. Avatar for roland roland says:

    Nalilito rin ako which is which. Muntik na ako mag subxcribe ng 799 ng smart bro (plug it) kaya lang with some of the comments na nabasa ko sa web, parang ayaw ko na. Sa globe naman not available pa sa Murphy cubao and wireless data only nila. Ayaw ko naman ng wired kasi im just renting a room. Kaya gusto ko wireless pero wag yong mahal at garantisado na kunti disconnection habang nag internet. Ano kaya mabuti? Punta na lang kaya ako sa gateway to access wireless or other malls. Sayang kasi pag nag subscribe ka pero putol putol naman..at the delimna is naka lock ka for 2 yrs. Masyado naman mahaba lock in period na 2 yrs sa smart plug it. Pag ganyan kahaba lock in malamang ndi maganda yan. Sasakit lang puso mo sa inis.
    Tama ka roland wag ka muna kumuha…ntay ka lang mag sisibabaan mga yan. Ntayin mo ang offer ng Sun..tiyak within this 1 st yr of 2008 mayron yan…UNLIMITED NA..WITH NO LOCK IN PERIOD AT MAY MONEY BACK PA FOR 7 DAYS…OOOOHHAAAA

  67. Avatar for vipeeflores vipeeflores says:

    guys, pwede pa advice? nalilito n kc aq kung anung service kukunin nmin pra s laptop nmin e. Which is d best wireless internet provider b, smart bro/3g? globe visibility? o pldt weroam? kylangan n kylangan n kc nmin ng net e, location kc nmin bayan malabon, monumaneto caloocan, & farmers cubao. . . pa-email plz s vipeefl****@****.*** thanks ^^

  68. Avatar for kAnGkEr kAnGkEr says:

    Yes. You are correct Natalie1981. As per some friends in the company, it’s now down to 40 hours – then in blocks of 30 minutes metering.

    Meaning, if you connect to the internet at 1:30pm, then disconnect at 1:45pm, your consumption is already rounded off to 30 mins.

    Then if you connect again at 1:55pm until 2:10pm, your consumption is already counted as two blocks of 30 mins.

    So, your usage from 1:30pm to 1:45pm then 1:55pm up to 2:00pm is for the first 30 minutes.

    Then your usage from 2:01pm up to 2:10pm is already for the second 30 minutes.

  69. Avatar for Natalie1981 Natalie1981 says:

    I just checked their website and from 60 hours free it’s down to 40 hours so para ka nading nagbayad ng 10 per 30 minutes if you’re using your ordinary sim card. Lumalabas, nagbabayad ka lang ng 799 a month for the USB modem. Piso lang natipid mo? Anu ba yan. Smart and Globe both suck! I hate their services, kaya walang pinapatunguhan yung mobile broadband dito sa Pinas. Sana gayahin nila sa US at magoffer nalang sila ng unlimited data plan like AT&T for their iPhone users.

  70. Avatar for MaTeT MaTeT says:

    wahaha!!!cOoL..I HOP it could be good enough,,
    wahahakz..

  71. Avatar for boddah boddah says:

    ^^that’s right, i thought the plan 999 unlimited is also a USB dongle, hindi pala.. Naginquire ako kahapon dun sa Smart booth malapit sa’min.. and they said it(Plan999) is still the old canopy/antenna connection :(

  72. Avatar for Genius24k Genius24k says:

    The Just “Plug it” is only for the 799 plan, it is not available under plan 999 according to their CS.

  73. Avatar for Dick Gumshoe Dick Gumshoe says:

    Its actually ZTE not huawei that is being used by plug it.

  74. Avatar for Showbiz Intriga? Get It From Boy! Showbiz Intriga? Get It From Boy! says:

    why just now?!i already bought a pldt weroam prepaid kit!!laki ng difference nito sa presyo.sayang. pwede din ba to kahit walang 3G at gprs lang meron?

  75. Avatar for Showbiz Intriga? Get It From Boy! Showbiz Intriga? Get It From Boy! says:

    argh! i really hate Smart! why? kasi i just bought an 11K cold cash PLDT WeRoam card unli for just 3 months!

    imagine the difference. i blew all my adsense earnings for that weroam kit only for smartbro to create this killah!

    kasi pareho lang sila ng PLDT Weroam in fact it is even better because it can surf in 3G/HSDPA, unlike pldt weroam (not weroam plus)….

    i could just kill any Smart big boss right now!i swear…

  76. Avatar for Dave Starr --- ROI Guy Dave Starr --- ROI Guy says:

    @ ordnacin, thanks for clarifying that.
    @ redge, thanks for the real-world report. sadly, your experience is what I expected. It is so frustrating. I don’t believe the people at SmartBro are intentionally providing crap service, I just think that everyone at the decision-making level in the company are still totally ignorant of what decent Internet service is.

    What will it take to convince them that providing decent service will not only build their business … and thus make more profit … but actually improve profit on the exisitng group of clients.

    Instead of sponsoring one social event after another and thinking up gimmicks and payola, if they just addresses the actual level of service their costs would go down …think of this … when a user has to retry a web page 3 or more times before it will finally load … a very frequent occurrence .. the load on their network is actually tripled (approxinate).

    X number of users can only surf Y number of pages per hour … efficient throughput will actually reduce network loads and costs, not increase them. I wonder why extremely simple pesos and cents calculations are so difficult for executives to understand?

    Can you imagine how the profit of their voice/SMS network would plummet if one had to send and resend every text message 3 or 4 times before it got through? Or make every voice call three or 4 times before it connected?

  77. Avatar for redge redge says:

    im using smart weroam for 2 months now, and im not satisfied with it, always lag, and disconnected, it should be weNOTroam, anyway, weroam and smartbro plug-it is just the same, smart network. The sad part is im locked for 12mos..

  78. Avatar for BrianB BrianB says:

    Work in Singapore, the hip-hopping country:

    http://www.cellphones.ca/news/post002745/

  79. Avatar for ordnacin ordnacin says:

    The P999 unlimited plan IS NOT 3G/HSDPA but rather the existing P999 Smart Bro plan… Only the P799 plan is 3g/HSDPA…

  80. Avatar for RNHalawi RNHalawi says:

    MAKATI CITY, Philippines–Charm Banico, a Smart engineer, demonstrates how easy it is to install Smart’s new mobile broadband Internet service for consumers, dubbed Smart Bro Plug It. As the name implies, it is a “plug and play” solution that enables users to connect to a high-speed data packet access mobile network. Video taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Erwin Oliva on Nov. 23, 2007.

    http://inquirer.promos.yahoo.com/inq/index.php?func_mode=play&vid=1512441

  81. Avatar for Dave Starr --- ROI Guy Dave Starr --- ROI Guy says:

    Hmmm, probably a stupid question, but do they publish any coverage maps? And who cna offer any real life reports comparing up times with the exisitng SmartBro wireless service … in other words, when the point-to-point SmartBro wireless fails to resolve any sites will the 3G service be dead also?

    This cold be a great alternative to the continual “the cell site serving tour SmartBro connections is out of service for an upgrade” issues too … but I still think Smart’s major problem is that when the connections from the user’s to their servers are running fine, they are trying to supply the whole Philippines on on T-1. Tipid I think is the word, or kuripot.

    I would pay a lot more than 999 a month for a company that actually provided decent connectivity into the Internet itself … the various solutions offered handle the last mile ok, when they are working, but you have to provide a gateway to connect all those customers dutifully paying the monthly fees.

    Ah well, a very nice solution for portable access … the Philippines is sooo far ahead of the US on the cellular side it is amazing. The US invented cell phone technology and then just snoozed for the past 20 years … sayang.

  82. Avatar for Joseph Joseph says:

    Abe, may bago ng website. www.smartplugit.org.ph

  83. Avatar for JM JM says:

    But then again this is Smart Bro, the ill-fated one that brought the definition of intermittent connection down to the very grassroot broadband user. I don’t know, I’m skeptical about this… Maybe wait a few months to a year to get feedback before really diving into it.

  84. Avatar for jangelo jangelo says:

    I guess if you’re a Mac / Linux user you can just take out the SIM card, plug it into a 3G-capable mobile phone, and connect via Bluetooth.

    That’s what I do with my Smart prepaid SIM as a backup/mobile solution. PhP 10/30mins is good enough for emergencies. Unlimited at PhP 999, then even better! I can imagine that some people might use this service for VoIP over mobile, with capable handsets.

  85. Avatar for Joseph Joseph says:

    Abe, may bago ka na namang website. www.smartplugit.org.ph

  86. Avatar for Mikko Mikko says:

    Wow. Nice! Mahal kasi masyado ung sa Globe Visibility eh. ;D

  87. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    @ marghil – nope, this is a different package. they just branded it under Smart Bro

    @ Emong – they did not mention that it was compatible with a Mac. I guess that when they developed the drivers/software, they started out with XP/2000 only.

    @ AnnaE – the Php999 unlimited plan is very tempting though.

  88. Avatar for AnnaE AnnaE says:

    Sometimes, PLDT’s 3G service is not available so I’m not able to surf (even when I’m in Mandaluyong). I wonder if the experience will be the same with Smart Bro.

    If that will be the case, then perhaps PLDT’s 3G service (P10/30 minutes) might be a better deal for ultra-light (during emergencies only) internet users like me.

  89. Avatar for Emong Emong says:

    sir abe, compatible ba sa MAC yung USB dongle?

  90. Avatar for Pinoy Rich Jerk Pinoy Rich Jerk says:

    That 24 month lock in period must be killing me. I don’t want to be on that situation were in I have to pay a pre-termination fee for their quite disgusting services. With in 2 years, I know there will be more better services offered, so don’t get yourself lock on that. Unless you got nothing to crave more…

  91. Avatar for sylv3rblade sylv3rblade says:

    Ouch.. 24 months lock in period? Hmm.. Guess I’ll wait for what Sun has to offer before deciding on which to get for my mobile internet needs.

  92. Avatar for marhgil marhgil says:

    does it mean that if I already have a Smart Bro, I could avail of that USB dongle for free? Anyway, I’m already paying 999 every month.

  93. Avatar for Alternative Alternative says:

    Not bad but the speed offering is not something to crave for. Might be good for light internet users.

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