How about installing Fiber internet in 'Manila, Philippines' in these times when there is the pandemic and lock-down, how hard can that be?
Starting with the lock-down within Manila, the current one is called 'General community quarantine' and it still feels like the 'original lock-down', the one that was stringent. Jeepneys are offline still, meaning that you can mostly commute to your destinations using 'taxis' and those 'fares' are very expensive in comparison to 'jeepney fares'.
Now, Fiber internet is still scarce in the Philippines in general. If it is still scarce in Manila, it is very likely to be scarce across the Philippines and in these times, it is way scarcer.
Even in areas that have fiber internet capabilities, there are 'limited allocated slots' to those areas, which are likely filled up in these times, meaning that it is possible that one tenant in the same building has fiber and the other can't have it.
Starting with ConvergeICT, which is acclaimed as the fastest Fibr internet-provider in the Philippines, i set out to have it installed in the 'Macrohard hub' (a recent venture that i have undertaken), considering that the very building that i have rented this hub from has the Converge Fiber internet.
While they have become popular for 'fiber internet' in the Philippines, considering that they have focused entirely on providing 'fiber internet' unlike other internet providers here, they don't seem to have large enough infrastructure to handle their 500K subscribers, judging from how impossible it is to reach their customer-service hotline in these times and their office is so filled too.
They have only one office across Manila, located in Pasig and imagine how filled it is each day in these times, considering that you can spend a whole day, trying to get a turn on their busy hotline. Altogether, they have one office and one 'hotline' catering to their 'sales and customer services' in the Manila.
After spending a whole day at their office, i am told that the slots are filled in the area of my hub and that there are indeed limited slots per area within Manila and that i will have to wait for months for a slot to become available.
While acclaimed by the internet as the fastest Fiber optic internet in the Philippines, 'their cheap price' may have factored into this 'speed'. For 1500 PHP, one can get speeds of 25MBps, which is said to be faster than 'the same Fiber-internet specification' provided by Globe, Skycable and PLDT.
According to the internet, the order when it comes to fiber internet 'speed' is; Coverge > Globe Fiber > Sky Cable Fiber > PLDT fiber.
Next, i tried 'Sky Cable Fiber' after identifying that its pricing is similar to Converge. I started out with calling them and i was able to reach an agent on the first day and i was told by the agent to send some details to her personal email, so that she can follow-through with my application, which i did but there has been no return-response from her.
I ended up filling their online application form, a simple form that allows you to submit the 'required IDs and utility bills'. However, their form isn't as optimized as that of converge, i.e without the capability of informing you on whether your area is serviceable. This means that, they will spend '3 - 5 days' verifying the serviceability of your area even after you have a filled their online application, then they can proceed to connect your internet, where your address is indeed serviceable. You are also provided with a vague indication of a likely delay in installation due to the lock-down, assuming your area is approved as serviceable.
I forgot to mention that i did try to apply for fiber internet on the Converge website. I spent up to a week however, just figuring out how to put in the correct address, such that it is deemed serviceable. All my attempts to complete the online application from in the past week, end with; 'your address is not serviceable'.
I was just stubborn. I wondered why, the building that i rented a hub from had 'converge fiber coverage' and why i could not have it. The landlord there had provided me three different utility-bills to draw the address from and each one seemed to have a different variation of their address.
Each variation of the address that i inserted into their online-form was abortive. This prompted a visit to their office, with similar result.
The issue is that, the frontage of hub is on a road, while the larger part of its building rests inside a sub-division. Thus, each variation of the address provided to me had 'street' in it.
I was just stubborn and persistent in succeeding with that Converge application and today, i tried again and this time, i used 'road' instead of 'street' and my application via their website became successful. This is of note, to tell you that whenever you are applying for Fibr internet (in the Philippines) via the internet and you receive an indication that 'your area is not serviceable', persistently try variations of 'the address'.
Going back, i decided to visit Facebook marketplace earlier today as i was looking for 'quick fiber installation' overall and i found out that there are many agents/affiliates of most of these internet-providers on it and they appear to assist you with the application-process, in a bid to hasten it. So, i tried to see how the application is for Globe fibr. Globe fiber is said to be second in speed after Converge but it is more expensive. Considering that it is a telecommunications company, covering the entire Philippines, i was thinking that they would have 'Fiber internet' in every area but that wasn't the case either. I processed an application for globe fiber with an affiliate directly from Facebook marketplace and alas, 'my area wasn't serviceable'. Basically, i was told that there are slots allocated to my area and these slots are filled up.
The last option is PLDT Fiber. I use PLDT in my house, thinking it is quite fast but the internet says that 'PLDT Fiber is the slowest in the Philippines'. It does have cheap rates though, similar to Converge and the first installation can happen even for free. Coincidentally, i haven't applied for this 'new internet installation' from PLDT.
I am still struggling to pay my bills with them, which have piled up during this lock-down period and i would want to pay it off before any 'new application', something i am not able to accomplish in the nearest term.
Minutes ago, i received an email from Converge saying that they have verified my location as indeed 'serviceable' and that they will send another email containing 'payment information', indicating that i will have to 'pay them in advance' and wait for their installation team to arrive to install it, a team that is said to 'likely delay' due to the lock-down.
Unlike sky cable fiber that gives 'a 3 - 5 days allowance' for verifying the serviceability of my area, Converge appears to be way faster in their response but very very hard to reach.
I hope to get Converge internet after all and deep down, i am hoping that they can arrive to install it surprisingly fast.
I think 'fast internet' is a giant inspiration on its own, if you love to innovate and create. I didn't realize this to be truthful until recently when i bought my first high-end PC. The speed of that PC, appears to make my internet appear faster and besides the inspiration i draw from this, it incites more productivity from out of me overall. Obliviously, i have practically been over-stressing myself all these ages, using weak PCs and slow internet.
Your boy Terry
I am currently running a kickstarter (crowdfunding) directly on Facebook, whereupon you can support this endeavor with a donation. To become a donor: https://bit.ly/macrohard
Note: Another easy way to contribute to our seed-fund now, is by purchasing a t-shirt from our Teespring apparel store.
Proceeds from sales, will also go towards the setup of our Macrohard hub.
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