It’s been said again and again: we’re all online now.

The digital world no longer needs an introduction when a number of us are learning and working remotely.

For the past 6 months, we’ve experimented with virtual meetings and tackled all sorts of problems. Unfortunately, some of these problems don’t always come with solutions. 

Your work setup that you thought was perfect

We, as a Filipino society, have discovered new sources of noise during this pandemic. Before, we thought steering the earphone mic away from the electric fan would do the trick, but be on a meeting long enough, and you’ll find that a fan is the least of your problems.

These sounds range from human to animal. Your mom shouts “kain na” when you’re clearly not ready. Dogs bark in the background when there are clearly no visitors. And that rooster – ang favorite ni tatay – screaming at the top of its lungs when it’s clearly past noon.

Put the fan on steady, lock the door, and shut the windows. This isn’t a fool-proof plan, but it’s the best you can do.

Your gadgets that you thought were functioning just fine

Out of nowhere, your earphones can also start malfunctioning. You’re lucky if it’s the random left or right ear going self-mute, but sometimes, it starts producing a static noise out of nowhere. Worse, the mic malfunctions.

One time, my cursor suddenly moved on its own erratically across the screen. When I got over the ghost scare, I realized that my trackpad was broken. While hardware problems aren’t new to us, when we’re stuck at home, it can feel frustrating since you can’t just run to a  store. 

So when you have an important meeting, borrow your brother’s or sister’s earphones as a spare and prepare a cheap mouse you can use during an emergency. 

You just don’t want hardware problems during an online meeting, especially when you’re the one presenting.

Your internet connection that you thought was reliable enough

This one, we’ve all experienced for sure, in the form of the buffering circle in the middle of a video stream, in a webpage that’s completely blank, and worse, when faces and voices turn into staccatos during important online meetings. 

Whatever your provider, your prepaid or postpaid WiFi subscription has failed you at least once. When that happens, the drill is to turn to our personal LTE. 

But then, the LTE signal is even worse. 

Among all the problems listed, this one is the most impossible. How do we get around bad internet service when we can’t control the signal or the satellite or know whichever wire should go where?

Most of us become religious at this point, praying that the problem will fix itself.

Consider that prayer answered. 

You can now subscribe to the SKY Fiber AlterNet Plan, the country’s first postpaid backup home internet plan. Think of it as your emergency generator for internet blackouts.

With this backup, you’ll no longer need to worry about sudden internet connection problems. You can report to your bosses and e-classroom without worry or be there for your best friends’ surprise online party. 

For only P199 a month and a one-time installation fee of P2,799, the SKY Fiber AlterNet Plan comes with a high-speed modem and an unlimited base speed of up to 1.5Mbps. If you need faster speed, you can choose between a five-day speed top-up for as low as P249 or a 15-day speed top-up for as low as P699.

Never miss a second of what’s happening in the online space with this new solution to an old problem. 

To learn more, visit mysky.com.ph/alternetplan. – Rappler.com