Mobile broadband 3G: A visibly good thing

Pampered is how I would describe the experience of having a mobile broadband 3G connection to the Internet. If patience is not one of your strong points and you abhor wires and cables that literally tie you down in one place, then an HSDPA wireless and mobile Internet connection from Globe could be a good gift for yourself this Christmas.

Globe Visibility is an unlimited mobile Internet plan that gives access to the Internet via Globe HSDPA, 3G, EDGE and GPRS. Just having all those types of connections to choose from is like an embarrassment of richness, but I’m not complaining. How could I when for P2,000 a month I get unlimited online connection at speeds of 1.4-1.8Mbps almost anywhere I go, as long as I have my laptop with its mobile browsing data card?

I can’t stress enough that Globe Visibility is truly wireless and mobile. We have often heard vendors say their solutions will give you connection anytime, anywhere, but we also know that it’s a bit of a stretch.

Even with the advent of commercial Wi-Fi, we still need to be in a Wi-Fi service area to enjoy wireless connection with some mobility constraints. With Globe Visibility on your notebook, the entire Globe 3.5G-powered network nationwide will be at your disposal, which means you can connect to the Internet even inside a car or in the shower, if you really have to.

The service practically turns any place with a 3G signal into an instant Internet hotspot. Yes, it seems to make Wi-Fi redundant and it’ll be no skin off my nose if I don’t use the free unlimited Wi-Fi and dial-up that come with Globe Visibility. But it’s nice to know you have back-ups, right?

As for the speed, Globe said that during the service’s first public demonstration in September, it broke the 2Mbps barrier and surpassed the current HSDPA benchmark Internet browsing speeds of 1.4-1.8Mbps being enjoyed by Visibility subscribers since March this year.

Comparing regular HSDPA with other Internet access points, Globe said it hits speeds 25 times faster than an ordinary dial-up connection at 56Kbps and five to six times faster than basic 3G at 150-250kpbs. At these speeds, Visibility subscribers can download 4MB MP3 full music tracks in only 20 seconds, instead of waiting a minute and 44 seconds with basic 3G.

"To our knowledge, we have possibly enabled the Philippines to be the first to showcase this hyper-charged HSDPA or so called Super 3G at these peak speeds in the region, and continuing to drive for a true mobile broadband experience for our customers," says Patricio "Blums" Pineda III, Globe Telecom’s vice president for wireless business planning and strategy.

Unlike my broadband connection at home, I’m aware that Visibility was giving me faster download speeds and Internet browsing. Sometimes I notice the connection speed fluctuates but this happens mostly when I’m in a moving car. To make sure my perception is not affected by my excitement to use mobile broadband 3G, I have subjected Visibility under an online speed test (www.speakeasy.net) for several times. The test measures the download and upload rate of your access speed by connecting to different servers located around the world, preferably the one nearest you (I chose Los Angeles, California). On the average, I get somewhere between 980Kbps and 1.2Mbps for download and 330Kbps to 350Kbps for upload. These are highly acceptable speed rates, quite comparable to a really decent DSL connection.

The productivity gains of wire-free connectivity are obvious in corporate settings. Mobile professionals can use Visibility to access their home computers remotely or their corporate intranets.

Visibility can also run in a mobile HSDPA handset such as the Samsung Z560, the first HSDPA handset to be sold in the ASEAN region. Globe expects more HSDPA devices will be rolled out next year. Meanwhile, one can also use a USB modem to run Visibility in case a PC or laptop has no PCMCIA slot.

The data SIM is locked for data services only like Internet browsing and cannot be used to make phone calls or send SMS messages, even if the data card allows you to perform these tasks. The data SIM can also be used to browse on a 3G/HSDPA phone but because it is locked for data services only, users will not be able to make or receive calls and send/received SMS while the data SIM is in use. It is also not advisable to use your regular mobile phone SIM to access Visibility because you will be charged P0.15 per kilobyte.

The 24-month minimum subscription period comes free with a browsing data card together with a data SIM. There is also a one-time application fee of P2,000. This fee compares with some fixed DSL connections (768Kbps and 1.2Mbps) from other providers. The difference is those wouldn’t have the Internet at your beck and call like Visibility could.