Globe vs. Smart: Fair Use Policy Compared!

As mobile subscribers increases every year, abuse of the telcos network also increased (downloading via torrents, video streaming and etc.) and making simple web surfing so slow among regular users. That’s why Globe and Smart have started to enforce their own version of the “Fair Use Policy” for their network services (SMS, calls and mobile internet). This is how it works.

Both Globe and Smart companies offer “UNLIMITED” services to their subscribers with a corresponding fixed numerical limit per scope of service. This means that if you subscribe to unlimited SMS for 1 day, you are not allowed to send out more than 1,000 messages in 1 hour (to compel with the Fair Use Policy), otherwise you will be cut off by the telco. Same is true with voice calls and mobile internet. Don’t want to have a SMS spam? Indeed the fair use policy will prevent it.

Note that Fair Use Policies per telco has their own terms on what is acceptable and normal usage. Smart has made it a standard for new subscribers to sign a waiver stating that they agree to the FUP. Globe has a similar one but it’s on print.

Here’s comparison on the data plans of Globe and Smart in terms of the Fair Use Policy below:

Comparison on the data plans of Globe and Smart in terms of the Fair Use Policy

Note: Smart considers data roaming as an exception since you are billed by the KB or MB by the partner carriers, while Globe exempts PowerSurf from the 1GB per day limit since that promo has its own bandwidth allocation.

And based on our research of telecom companies from other countries, all of them implemented this Fair Use Policy: In the USA and Thailand there’s a 2GB monthly limit (Data speed will be reduced once the limit is reached), in the UK there’s a 500MB/day limit and in Malaysia there’s 30MB/day limit!

So, if it’s just 1.5GB per month, don’t call it unlimited (Ex. UnliLTE with cap of just 1.5GB?). Please note that both Android and iOS devices now have built-in data trackers that can calculate your data usage and can even set your desired limit of mobile data usage.

If you have something to say about the “Fair Use Policy” of both Globe and Smart please share it below, so that others may be aware of it. Thanks!

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