A FEW weeks ago, I wrote about the best and worst parts of living alone-including the undeniable pleasure of having complete control over the television, my viewing schedule and, perhaps most importantly, the remote.
But there is one downside I forgot to mention.
When you live alone, every bill has your name on it.
There is nobody to split the internet bill with. Nobody else is paying for the streaming services. Your mobile plan, cloud storage, apps and all those subscriptions that seemed inexpensive when you signed up are yours, yours, yours and yours.
Apparently, I have collected quite a few.
I realized this while reviewing my monthly expenses and seeing how many separate services had become part of my routine. There was my internet connection, mobile plan, streaming subscriptions, cloud storage and the apps I regularly use-plus a few recurring charges I could no longer immediately identify.
You know the ones. A charge appears on your statement, and you stare at it for a few seconds thinking, ‘Ano nga ulit ito?’
Then there are the passwords, renewals and verification codes that come with maintaining all those accounts.
Now that I have officially entered what people politely call their ‘golden era,’ I have developed a greater appreciation for simplicity. I can remember the lyrics to a song I have not heard since the 1980s, but ask me which variation of a password I used two months ago and we are in trouble.
Was it the one with the capital letter? Did I add an exclamation point? Or did I use my old password and attach another number because the app insisted that I create a ‘new’ one?
That is why I have become less impressed by technology that gives me another thing to manage. I appreciate services that take something off my plate.
And I am managing all these accounts for only one person.
Imagine doing it for an entire family.
ONE HOME, MANY DIGITAL LIVES
CONSIDER what happens inside a Filipino home on an ordinary evening.
Someone is watching television in the living room while another family member catches up on a series using a tablet. One child is gaming with friends. Another is scrolling through videos on a phone. Someone else has a laptop open for work or school.
Several screens and devices may be running simultaneously, all relying on the same internet connection.
Other devices remain connected in the background and are barely noticed-until the internet stops working.
Once everyone steps outside, another set of digital needs takes over. Mobile data is needed for messages, maps, social media, music, video calls and practically everything else people expect to access wherever they go.
I remember when having internet at home meant connecting one computer. You went online, did what you needed to do and logged off. Everyone had a schedule because everyone had to share limited bandwidth.
Today, I could not tell you how many things in my home are connected without walking around and counting them.
The internet is no longer something we occasionally use. It runs through work, school, entertainment, communication and much of everyday family life.
That also means connectivity is no longer represented by a single bill.
There is home internet, mobile data, streaming and cable television. None of these expenses may appear unreasonable on its own. It is only when you see them together that you realize how many separate services are competing for a share of the household budget.
For years, choosing a home internet plan largely came down to two questions: How fast is it, and how much does it cost? Both remain important. But there is now a third question worth asking:
What else am I getting for my money?
If a household is already paying separately for internet, entertainment, calls and mobile connectivity, finding a slightly cheaper version of each service may not be the only way to save.
It may make more sense to stop paying for everything separately.
WHAT IS PLDT HOME FIBER UNLI
THAT is the idea behind the new PLDT Home Fiber Unli All plans.
Take Fiber Unli All 1499. For ?1,499 a month, subscribers get speeds of up to 200 Mbps, unlimited fiber internet, more than 60 live Cignal channels, HBO Max Standard, Unli Calls and a total of 9GB of Smart mobile data every month.
That is a long list for something we traditionally think of as an internet plan.
The Cignal inclusion provides households with live television channels, while HBO Max Standard allows two people to stream simultaneously in Full HD. Subscribers may also download up to 30 titles for offline viewing.
The included landline comes with unlimited calls to five nominated Smart, Sun or TNT numbers.
The Smart mobile data allocation is distributed among as many as three registered Smart or TNT numbers, with each receiving 3GB valid for 30 days. These numbers must be included among the five mobile numbers nominated for Unli Calls.
The benefits are therefore not intended for one person to keep. They can be distributed among members of the household.
For families that need more bandwidth, Fiber Unli All 1899 offers speeds of up to 400 Mbps, while Fiber Unli All 2599 goes up to 800 Mbps. All three plans carry the same basic proposition: combine home internet, entertainment, calls and mobile data under one subscription.
Now the ‘All’ in Fiber Unli All makes considerably more sense.
ONE DIGITAL LIFE, MULTIPLE SCREENS
WHAT makes the bundle practical is that it reflects how people actually use technology.
I could begin the morning working at home, stream something during lunch, leave to cover an event and use mobile data for navigation, messages and social media, then come home and finish the day watching something on HBO Max.
I have not developed three different digital lives. It is still me moving from my laptop to my phone to my television-and from home to somewhere else and back again.
Multiply that behavior by three, four or five people in one household, and connectivity becomes much bigger than ‘home internet.’
Speed still matters, particularly when several people are using the connection at the same time. But value should also be measured by how much of the household’s actual digital routine is covered by the monthly payment.
Does the plan support how the family works, studies and relaxes? Does it provide useful services beyond the home connection? Can it reduce the number of separate subscriptions and bills that somebody must remember to pay?
For households already paying for several of these services, a bundle can provide a simpler alternative. The actual savings will depend on which services the family currently uses, so it still pays to compare the plan with existing monthly expenses.
But if Cignal, HBO Max, landline calls and mobile data are already part of the household routine, getting them together may be more convenient than maintaining them separately.
FEWER THINGS TO REMEMBER
PEOPLE always say the best things in life are free.
Love. Friendship. Family. A beautiful sunset.
That is true enough. But many of the things that keep us connected, productive and entertained now come with a monthly bill.
I do not mind paying for services that make my life easier, help me stay productive or give me something good to watch at the end of a long day. What I mind is the administrative burden that comes with them: different bills, separate subscriptions and another set of account details to remember.
A bundled plan will not eliminate every subscription or solve every household expense. But if it gives a family services it already uses while leaving fewer separate accounts to monitor, that is a practical form of convenience.
Perhaps the old saying simply needs a digital update. The best things in life may be free.
But when it comes to my digital life, I will happily take Unli.