Smart Biz LTE – Is It For You?

Earlier this month, PLDT SME Nation unveiled its newest business solution to help connect micro, small and medium enterprises.

Smart Biz LTE is their new wireless broadband offering. This is more for businesses than for personal use.

SMART BIZ LTE – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Instead of using a regular pocket wifi, the steel-cased unit that comes with Smart Biz LTE is bigger. It gets better signal because it has antennas you can even place outside your shop, or on top of your vehicle. Also, up to 45 devices (computers, smartphones, tablets, etc…) can connect to it while regular pocket wifis are limited to 10 devices. It also provides 3-4 times wider wifi reach.

Quick rundown of the specs:

• LTE signal receiver: dual antenna with MIMO capability
• industrial-grade router with steel housing
• auto reboots during reconnection
• 30 – 50 meters radius wifi reach
• auto restart after 5 reboots
• compatible with vehicles
• connect up to 45 users
• tamper-proof sim slot
• up to 42 mbps speed
• Power: 7.5V – 32V
• VPN capable
• 2 LAN ports

Installation is free, but you can easily install it yourself. Actually, there is really no need to actually install it if you don’t want to, especially if you want to take it around and be mobile. If you want it put in a permanent location, just screw the unit onto a wall, connect the antennas and find a good spot for the antennas. The bottom of the antennas are magnetic. For its power, it needs to be plugged in to a power outlet.

If your business is mobile, you can take this in your car / van / bus / truck so you’ll have internet wherever your vehicle is. There’s an option to plug it into your car for power.

PRICING

The current Smart Biz LTE plans are:

1899/month – 5 GB
2349/month – 13 GB
4100/month – 21 GB

There is a 24-month contract, and there’s a P1.00 per MB charge that will take effect after you use up your monthly volume allocation. There’s an anti-bill shock of P7,099 wherein service becomes non-stop surf.

As stated in their brochure, there is no throttling and no stopping of service.

There is an optional add on of P250/month per Smartcam if you would like to get a cctv type setup for your business.

If you sign up now until Oct. 31, 2016, they have a promo where you can get a free Smartcam for every line availed.

IS IT FOR YOU?

It is definitely more expensive than using a regular pocket wifi. But then, it is targeted at business users. However, if you run a business and you need better, more reliable internet than what you’ve been getting from a makeshift pocket wifi solution, check this out and see if it fits your needs.

I think this offer can be quite useful, especially if you are located in an area with no access to wired internet like DSL or Fibr.

My biggest issue with it, as usual, is the data capping. Employees will have a tendency to use a company’s internet to download things they have difficulty downloading at home. If your business provides internet to your customers (like a restaurant, coffeeshop, etc…), same thing. If you have the budget and are willing to spend, go for the anti-bill shock amount already so you get unlimited internet.

NEW BRAND AMBASSADOR

Simultaneous to the product launch, PLDT SME Nation unveiled Bryan Benitez McClelland, founder of the socio-ecological enterprise, Bambike Revolution Cycles as its newest ambassador. Bambike is a company that produces carefully crafted bicycles made of natural materials like bamboos and abaca. These one-of-a-kind bicycles are used in ecotours around the historic walls of Intramuros, making the experience of national history education a uniquely fun one.

Bambike provides livelihood to a number of community workers in Tarlac through its partnership with Gawad Kalinga, banking on McClelland’s vision of fair-trade labor and sustainable building process in doing business. “Bambike is dedicated to social and environmental stewardship through making the greenest bikes in the planet. Our vision as a company is to not only live our passion for bicycles, local tourism, and love for Mother Earth but also, create impacts to the betterment of our community,” shares McClelland.

To know more about PLDT SME Nation’s partnership with Bambike, more of its activities and what it has in store for the nation’s MSMEs, please visit http://smenation.com.ph/ or https://www.facebook.com/SMENation/.