racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

To continue my saga on trying out prepaid wireless landlines, I had recently activated Super Duo on my main Globe prepaid subscription. I was very pleased that I could easily call Bayantel lines (which we have at home), in stark contrast to my PLDT Wireless landline, which can rarely connect with my home residence.

But the big issue here is interconnectivity with several networks. For one, I can rarely connect to PLDT landline numbers. This can be very debilitating, since calling PLDT landlines was okay before activation of Super Duo (since this is billed as a regular call from one’s Globe number). But after activation, you effectively lose calling capability to PLDT landlines. Rare exceptions include midnight to the wee hours of the morning. Calling during daytime? Forget it.

Another small issue is calling from Bayantel phones. You get a busy tone, and you get connected after two to three tries. No big issue if you only expect personal calls, but to business users, this can be a deal breaker.

Now I’m not sure if this is only isolated to prepaid subscriptions. I hear that postpaid users are not as badly affected. Maybe that’s the premium one gets with a postpaid subscription. But with Globe heavily marketing their prepaid services such as Tattoo, SuperDuo and the like, they better be sure they have the capacity to service demand.

The bigger issue here is interconnection among the networks. I’m aware that telcos charge each other for each SMS or voice minute. But the charging framework has changed dramatically with the introduction of “unlimited” calling schemes, like the so-called “wireless landline” capability of mobile phones. If we’re going back to the dark ages of walled-garden communications, then we’re screwed. Remember the olden days when Smart subscribers could only text to Smart, and Globe within Globe?

Maybe this is just a honeymoon phase, and things will turn out better. I’m hoping that in the long run, interconnection among telcos would normalize. Things are getting cheaper and cheaper, anyway, and maybe they need to look for alternative business models (rather than charge interconnection fees), in line with the changing trends.

The in thing in the Philippine telco market today is the wireless landline service. It’s somehow a mix of mobile phone service and landline service: the focus is on voice calls, but the service is usually not limited within a home or office.

There are various reasons why the Philippines is called the texting capital of the world. For one, text messaging is cheaper than voice calls (at least in the country). Secondly, Filipinos are known not to be a bit on the shy side when it comes to communicating. So we would rather text than call because the impersonal nature of texting serves as a veil between the communicants—one doesn’t have to worry about emotions or reactions. And for the forgetful ones like myself, I like keeping info (or agreements!) in my SMS inbox, so I won’t forget.

The recent upsurge of “wireless landline” services, however, goes to show that telcos are tapping that unused capacity of their networks in bringing about a new service—something I would call a “hybrid” one, but something that others may consider bordering on marketing gimmick.

Until recently, wireless landline services had to be exclusively subscribed-to, and required exclusive handsets. Some networks even use systems that are not same as the most widely used standard here, which is GSM. Bayantel, for one, uses CDMA. And until recently, using wireless landline services meant using a full-sized telephone apparatus, complete with the wired handset and the base with antenna. Portable, true. But one might look silly walking around at the mall speaking into what looks like a wired landline phone (at least that was what I thought when the service first came out a year ago).

But then the candybar-type handsets came to be popular, also. These were as portable as your usual mobile phone, but without the limitation of per-minute charged calls.

And for about a year after wireless landline services were introduced, these were usually postpaid plans with unlimited outgoing calls and SMS messages. But now the trend is going towards prepaid.

Hands on with PLDT’s wireless landline service

So I’ve wanted one for the longest time. My wife preferred the large apparatus type unit (if ever we were to go for one). But we didn’t feel the need for it yet. So it was way below our to-do / to-acquire list. But I got an offer from fellow blogger Jepoy, who was giving out prepaid PLDT Landline Plus SIM cards.

What was really great about the PLDT service was that it was no longer limited to specialized handsets. One could acquire a PLDT Landline Plus Prepaid SIM card, plug it into any GSM phone (Smart locked or unlocked), and voila! You have service!

I got my SIM card in the mail this afternoon (after much anticipation through the weekend) and tried it out. Here are some photos and my initial thoughts.

• The service functions much like a regular prepaid GSM subscription, albeit a basic one. There’s caller ID, but there are not much bells and whisltes (like wireless Internet, call waiting, call forwarding, etc.)
• Voice quality is good—I would expect this of the Smart network. It does have an echo sometimes, though.
• Coverage is good so far. I would expect this of Smart, too.
• Interconnectivity is good, so far. From my Bayantel landline at home, I could connect 100% of the time. Other reviewers, though, say that interconnectivity is iffy at about 75%.

I tried the SIM on my LG KU250 (the one stolen and recovered). And for one to use a “wireless landline” SIM on such a phone would be overkill, as Max Limpag would say. The data connectivity features of the phone would just be put to waste. So later this week I’m off to get myself a cheapo basic phone (much like what I use as my main phone).

I had no problems activating the SIM from my home office. Jepoy says you need to be in an area where the Smart cell site is already upgraded to handle PLDT wireless landline activation. No problem on my end, though.

Jepoy posts a comparison between two of the more popular prepaid wireless landline services here. I’m a loyal Bayantel user, so I initially wanted to get a Bayantel wireless landline phone. But then I would have to purchase a new handset altogether (which is incompatible with the rest of the country’s networks), and a dedicated SIM. The advantage, though, is that Bayantel has per-call charging, while PLDT’s is per-minute. But that’s for outgoing calls. Knowing how ingenious we can be at penny pinching, many users would probably just use the outgoing calls to ask the other end to call back.

Then again, as earlier mentioned, the telcos may have just found a really smart way to extend the use of their existing networks by marketing the service as a “wireless landline” service, when they could, in fact, just introduce cellular plans that are more focused on cheap voice calls rather than text.

I’ll be road testing this service soon, so watch out for more insights.

It’s been a busy week, or rather a very busy two weeks. So if you’re wondering why I haven’t been posting here lately, it’s because I’m either posting elsewhere (like the Blog Herald, JOAB and my other network blogs), building up a blog empire (soft-launched, but not yet officially launched), or taking care of some offline things. So for now, I’ll post in the good ol’ bullet points, like the usual when I’m busy.

My mother bought a MacBook. She almost bought another brand laptop (HP, which is not bad, but hey it’s not an Apple). But I told her for that price, she could already get a MacBook. PhP 62K for a Core 2 Duo Presario V2000 with a DVD-RW vs PhP 64k for a Core 2 Duo MacBook with Combo drive Not as high spec’d, when it comes to the add-ons/peripherals like the optical drive and the card readers but the Mac is still a better buy, in my opinion.

We checked out stores at SM Cyberzone, but ended up at Ynzal instead because of the really big discount their Business Dev Manager, Mr. Jojo Magallanes, gave us. We got it for PhP 60K plus some freebies.

Here’s her story.

Lesson learned: mothers, listen to your sons!

WeRoam saves the day. When I first tested PLDT’s WeRoam service in 2005 when I was still with dotPH I thought the speed was really crappy. We were at the Ortigas area then, and we couldn’t get an EDGE signal. So that means regular GPRS speeds, at 30 something kbps (sucks, I know). These days though, I think they have faster, 3G speeds. And you could always go for Globe Visibility HSDPA. You could theoretically get 1.8 Mbps (and 400 to 800 Kbps in real world applications).

But I’m a penny pincher at times, especially these days that I foresee big expenses upcoming.

So I bought myself a used Sierra AirCard 775 from a fellow BNC member so I could surf while mobile. I do have an unlimited Airborne Access account, but there are places I visit that don’t have hotspots of any kind. And since I foresee the need for untethered Internet access, I thought of this option instead.

It doesn’t come with a subscription. I just plug in a prepaid Smart SIM card, and I can enjoy surfing for PhP 10 per 30 minutes (PLDT WeRoam uses the Smart network). It’s really slow, but when you need to get things done, these things are a life saver. (And yes, I was able to configure my PowerBook to use the AirCard. The PC laptop was easy enough.)

Thing is, I usually only get a GPRS signal, and not EDGE. So it’s 30+ Kbps instead of the marketed 200 Kbps of EDGE. I guess I could have opted for a 3G phone instead, or a faster AirCard (or other brands), since Smart also offers the same rate for 3G access. But that would be loads more expensive in terms of equipment cost.

I initially wanted to buy a used WiFi-enabled PDA so I could surf at the malls without having to bring my laptop (or even at home—in the bathroom, perhaps?). But then I thought I would have more utility from being able to surf practically anywhere than having a more portable device for surfing at hotspots.

Last January, Max Limpag was also thankful for WeRoam saving his day. So I guess it goes the same for me. WeRoam is my last resort—I’ll use it when there are no other connectivity options. It’s for those emergency days. It’s like a backup parachute. Or a side-arm (when my primary weapon runs out of ammo, so to speak).

But if there’s anyone out there with an old WiFi-enabled PDA for sale (or loan, or donation, heheh), give me a good deal, and I’ll see if I’ll bite.

Bayantel DSL is Slow. Bayantel DSL is slow these days. I’ve been getting very bad speedtest.net results, like 500+ ms ping times, and 100kbps speeds. And I’m using a 384kbps connection (which goes up to 768 because I use a really nifty trick to increase my speed).

Car expenses. I got my AdSense check in the mail a couple of weeks ago, but I ended up spending most of it in car repairs and maintenance. Who knew that a new battery + alternator replacement would cost so much. They’re not from the casa or OEM Toyota, but they’re still expensive.

Oh, and I had an oil change, to boot. The mechanic at the Caltex service station corner of Kalayaan and Kamias was good—he pointed out to me the stuff I had to replace with my suspension (whereas some other shops wanted to change it all, which would cost me a whopping PhP 15k). I’m not really a Caltex guy (I prefer Petron Blaze), but this time I think I’ll come back to them come maintenance/repair/tune up time.

Community Blogs to Launch Soon. Three out of four of the community blogs I’m setting up are already up and running. Do check them out. I will make a formal announcement on the Blog Herald when the fourth one is up. Froodee is for lifestyle, living, news and business. Gadzooki is for gadgets, software, technology, and cars. Blog Tutorials is for blog design, reviews, writing tips.

It’s bad enough when your utility’s customer service desk lines are dead in the middle of a crisis. But what if your call actually comes through? And what if the customer service rep you’re talking to panics when you become assertive in making your complaint? What if he/she swears at you?

This was exactly what happened with PLDT’s helpdesk in this incident as cited on Jepoy’s Captain’s Log. You can download the WAV file here. It’s either recorded by the caller or this could have been from the call center’s archived calls.

Here’s the skinny:

• The caller was complaining about his DSL service being down for a full day.
• The CSR says the tech department cites software updates for the downtime, and the client should expect the service to resume after a day.
• The client asks for a rebate for the two days downtime, but the CSR is reluctant.
• The client says he doesn’t want to pay for service not rendered, and utters a swear-word (not directed at the CSR).
• The CSR responds, swearing at the client.
• Client gets angry—while still calm—at the CSR for cussing.
• CSR pleads for the client not to get angry, claiming she did not swear.
• After the client reminds her that she indeed cussed, she responds she only said that because the client swore at her.
• Client says he just swore in general, but did not direct it at the CSR. Client asks for a supervisor.
• CSR panics and cries. She then disconnects the call.

Busted!

The client was able to get the CSR’s name, during that time she had not realized her mistake of cussing at the client. I’m not sure what happened to this call center employee, but I’m pretty sure either PLDT had this on record (call centers do record calls) or the client sent in a copy along with a complaint.

Toxic

I don’t think the CSR intended to swear at the client, though. Maybe the cussing was an automatic reaction from hearing a swear word uttered—things like this could happen when one is under pressure, and when arguing. From stories I’ve been hearing, call center conditions are quite toxic, especially with the shifting (which changes every few weeks or so), six-day workweeks, and the generally poor labor conditions in the Philippines.

Now I understand things can get pretty stressful in call center situations, especially if the client the CSR is talking to is quite stupid and couldn’t tell a cupholder from a CD-ROM tray. But this is different. And a company’s helpdesk still does not have the right to swear at clients making legitimate complaints.

The helpdesk rep should have at least had the presence of mind to remember that she’s on the job and that she’s carrying the company’s reputation in her dealings with clients.

At the very least, the PLDT call center has probably been employing poorly-trained helpdesk personnel. Complacency? I guess so. Being the largest telecom network in the country, PLDT must have been sitting on its laurels and thinking customer service isn’t a priority.

Update

On afterthought, I don’t think anyone has bothered to verify this incident with PLDT. For one, I don’t think I heard the word PLDT anywhere—the CSR just said “welcome to DSL helpdesk.” And it’s even possible that this was not a call in the first place, and that the conversation was simply recorded for the purpose of discrediting a company.

Does anyone have direct contact to PLDT higher-ups or at least the company (or department) that manages its call center/s? Any information would surely be helpful.