Dateline Davao Goes To Dustland And Tuna Country

Merry Christmas everyone! Not doing regular blogging this time of the year since I am still in the land of Dust and the famous Tuna Capital of the Philippines. No thanks to Smart's Plan 799 which is apparently not financially practical and PLDT's WeRoam which is not just available ha!ha!ha!----I do not have 24-hour Internet with me and have content with Netopia's P23 per hour email charge at Gaisano Mall. If I can only bring my DSL connection....

It's good to note there are lots of establishments with wifi connection here in Gensan and one of my favorites is MacGregor Coffee Shop. Sometimes I also use East Asia Royal Hotel's connection but it's more expensive at P100 per hour at the business center and almost the same price at the cafe (plus you have to spend for food). I'm still trying to explore other wifi cafes and restos here though.

Smart’s Plan 799 Not So Smart After All

I got frustrated with PLDT”s We Roam (which provides wireless access to the Internet) after I was told that the local computer shops no longer sell the gadget and that if ever they have one, it won’t fit in my HP-Compaq laptop and it’s not compatible since I have a Vista operating system.

Imagine my glee when I chanced upon Smart’s 799 Plan which provides wireless coverage. This means I can just plus the gadget not my USB and then I’m on. Very convenient especially during the Holiday Season when I would be going out of town and would be living behind my DSL connection.

A quick visit to Smart’s SM City Davao office however proved frustrating since the Plan is not yet available (READ: Gadget not yet sent by Manila). Initial payment is P1,999. Furthermore, the P799 monthly fee is only good for 40 hours per month. Wow! That means around P20 per hour of surfing the Internet and you pay P10 for every 30 minute excess. How’s that for “harang?”

The rate would have been more acceptable if this was a monthly plan but lo! There is a 24-month lockin period so that would mean two monthly payments for my DSL and the wireless connection which is not ideal since I can hook up with wifi in any Davao or Gensan café’ anytime.

I considered Globe’s Visibility months ago. It has an initial fee of P2,000, guaranteed fast connection anywhere there’s a Globe signal and a monthly fee of only P2,000 with unlimited Internet use. However it also has a lockin condition.

Compared with Smart’s 799 Plan, Globe’s Visibility is a bargain! If you surf for 10 hours a day (which I usually do in my line of work) then that would mean P6 per hour of comfortable Internet service, anytime, anywhere, But there’s the lockin hitch again.

Well, I just need to call PLDT again if they have made their WeRoam compatible with newer laptop models already. In the meantime, it means surfing and drinking coffee while I'm on vacation. Suggestions, anyone?