Ok ok one of the reasons I got the Exec was because it boasted 3G and Globe my longtime provider has rolled out 3G with HSDPA [High-Speed Downlink Packet Access] what does all these mean? Well for starters it potentially meant saying goodbye to our snail paced GPRS connection. Theoretically that's 1.8 Mbps, way faster than 3G which is at 384Kbps and faster than a DSL residential connection [yeah enticing isn't it]. Sadly as with all things Globe does; it seems that their adverts have more coverage than their service. To date I have not been able to hold a steady UMTS signal. I did check Globe's 3G website and they have indicated the very few areas that have the service. Goddammit I can't just lounge around Ortigas Center when I want 3G access!? Anyway I was playing with my Exec yesterday when I arrived at V-Mall surprise surprise the signal indicator switched to UMTS Globe. So I fired up Pocket Internet Explorer and browsed to dslreports. Now I went to do a 1MB speedtest [the biggest] anyway it was taking ages and I had already finished my cigarette, granted I smoke pretty fast but it is advertised as faster than DSL right?! So I then decided to go with the 100K test.
Here is the results page:
I couldn't believe it! 16kbit/sec WTF!?! Where is Lucky Manzano I'd like to smack him up the head and ask him how he's able to do it? Endorse something that isn't working. Anyway to all you folks expecting great things from Globe's 3G at the rate they are going I think you'd have to wait a year or two more before the network would be worth the upgrade to a 3G handset. Oh yeah and they still charge per kb [no data plans yet] good thing the wise guys [and gals] at Globe figured that they should be charging 2G rates [uhm that's GPRS folks PhP 0.15/kbit] for now as their 3G is almost non existent. Granted the V-Mall area is not on the list of supported areas, I could have gotten a phantom signal [happened when I had my 838; it was reporting an EDGE connection when I switched Cell Towers but the speed was still GPRS]I wish I had time over the weekend. I plan to get a SMART Prepaid SIM card and test out their 3G [no HSDPA but they have a bigger area coverage well according to their website atleast].
Here is the results page:
I couldn't believe it! 16kbit/sec WTF!?! Where is Lucky Manzano I'd like to smack him up the head and ask him how he's able to do it? Endorse something that isn't working. Anyway to all you folks expecting great things from Globe's 3G at the rate they are going I think you'd have to wait a year or two more before the network would be worth the upgrade to a 3G handset. Oh yeah and they still charge per kb [no data plans yet] good thing the wise guys [and gals] at Globe figured that they should be charging 2G rates [uhm that's GPRS folks PhP 0.15/kbit] for now as their 3G is almost non existent. Granted the V-Mall area is not on the list of supported areas, I could have gotten a phantom signal [happened when I had my 838; it was reporting an EDGE connection when I switched Cell Towers but the speed was still GPRS]I wish I had time over the weekend. I plan to get a SMART Prepaid SIM card and test out their 3G [no HSDPA but they have a bigger area coverage well according to their website atleast].
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