The Need for Speed

Companies that provide Internet Service have been continuously at war with each other for market dominance. Almost everywhere the Metro, you can always catch a glimpse of a banner or tarpaulin of a internet service provider. In Malls and train stations, flyers are frequently passed and handed out advertising their services. Some have even installed booths in malls that facilitate a Quick application service, much like a one-stop-shop for those who are looking for a quick and immediate service to get them connected.

Recently, companies tried to address this seeming thirst to get connected. Not satisfied with wi-fi hotspots, they have taken the battle to a whole new level. Now, internet connections can be had via a network riding on cell sites.

While such measures indeed provide ready and instant connections, there seems to be a recurring problem with the connections. In their advertisements, they boldly claim of speeds reaching up to 2 mbps, but the question of really reaching that advertised speed is such a myth.

I have been a subscriber of Bayantel for over a year now. What pisses me off is the fact that they are blatantly advertising of speeds reaching 1280 kbps, when in truth and in fact, such speed is not attained. I regularly chech the speed of my connection, and most of the time, its just around half of the speed that they claim, even during off-peak hours.

I tried to call their technical support service,I told them that I almost always barely reach half the speed that they claim to be is attainable, but to no avail. They say that such advertised speed is a maximum limit, meaning that they are not in any obligation to see to it that you do reach that speed.

Maybe, instead of allowing these service providers to advertise the seemingly impossible maximum limit of their service, regulations should be imposed, so that they do not deviate too far off from what they advertise, I mean, reaching 70-80% of their advertised speed may be acceptable, but providing only half of what they advertise is just too much.