Subictel Quietly Lowers its DSL Rates

Good luck trying to find it on the Subictel website. And you might not hear about it from the friendly ladies at the customer service counter - who have taken the brunt of angry customers' complaints about Subictel's high prices and poor quality service.

But Subictel has finally brought its rates for DSL service into line with industry standards. They now offer a basic monthly package for 999 pesos - which is exactly on par with Manila, Angeles and the rest of the country (as well as Subictel's likely competitors in Subic).

The basic 999 peso package says it offers speeds of 384 kbps downstream, and other monthly plans - 1299 pesos, 1995 and 2500 pesos - offer additional speed, going up to 1.9 mbps. But since Subictel has never been able to verify the speed they offer (their customer service agents take great glee in explaining that all online Internet connection speed trackers are unreliable!) then how will they verify that you are getting what you pay for if you take the high-end package?

If I opt to pay for the higher speed package then I have to trust that Subictel is giving me something that the basic package holders aren't getting for less money. Hmmmm. . . trust Subictel. . . how could you go wrong with that?

Another interesting aspect of their new DSL packages is the range. The cheapest is 999 pesos and the most expensive is 2,500 pesos. For years, the only residential DSL package they offered was for 2,500 pesos a month. If the only rate they offered previously is now the highest rate in the new range, isn't that a tacit admission on their part that they have been over-charging customers for the last, oh, decade or so?

Subictel has gorged on bloated Internet fees from its captive customers for years, but clearly they can see competition on the horizon. They have brought their prices into line. Now, it's time to get their customer and technical service in gear.

For those who want to downgrade to the new 999 or other cheaper plans, or are ready to sign up now that the plans are affordable, you need to ask their customer service specifically about the cheaper plans. They sure didn't seem eager to volunteer the information during a recent visit by The Subic Bulletin.

For those who want to take advantage of the new cheaper plans, expect lots of hidden and surprise fees, punishments for opting for the cheaper plans, and brittle long-term, lock-in contracts.

The Subic Bulletin Blog