Spot Reviews: The DITO WoWFi PRO 365 Plan Is Connectivity Minus the Paperwork

(SPOT.ph) Data is absolutely essential in the digital age. It’s practically synonymous with accessibility, and living life without it can feel like being shuttered out of the world and major connections. While it’s practically a need at this point, complex application and approval processes along with steep price points keep connectivity out of reach for some. Enter the WoWFi PRO 365 plan from DITO, a WiFi plan that keeps you connected for an entire year for less than P8,000—all without the tedious paperwork and billing statements.

The WoWFi PRO 365 plan includes unlimited data for 12 months and a modem with a DITO SIM. It’s the latest offering of DITO Home which “utilizes the latest 5G technology to deliver up to 100Mbps download speed at a very affordable price point.”

Purchasing is simple enough. The unit is available on the official DITO website and can be purchased for P7,290. This one-time payment is already good for an entire year; unlike most WiFi plans from other providers, you do not need to start an account with DITO and get billed monthly. All transactions and reloads can be done via the DITO app.

Since the DITO unit is not linked to a phone connection at home, you can technically plug the modem anywhere—cafes and remote workplaces included. Before we get into the review, it’s important to note that DITO is very location-dependent. Reviews from other users said DITO staff would test their area for viability and they wouldn’t issue a unit if the location was out of service, even if the user was willing to pay for the plan and the unit. In our case, we tried the DITO unit in our Mandaluyong office and in Marikina, which was in a residential setup. Read on to see how it did.

Each DITO WoWFi PRO 365 plan comes with the actual modem and the SIM. There’s a slot at the bottom of the router, right beneath the DITO logo, where the SIM should be inserted. Once that’s done, I simply plugged in the unit and waited for all the lights to turn white.

Setup was simple. Once the unit is plugged in, the instructions say you need to scan the QR code on the box, which will lead you to the DITO app—you’ll need to do this as the app lets you register your SIM and monitor your connection. I was worried about being able to download the app with no Wi-Fi, but even during the router’s initial startup, you can connect to it and it will provide you with enough data for downloading the app. 

The next step is to register the SIM. It involved filling out personal details, uploading a photo of a government ID, and taking a selfie as the final proof of legitimacy. The process itself took about five minutes and once the SIM was registered, I could start messaging, watching videos, and surfing the web.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had to adjust modems around to get the fastest, strongest possible connection for everyone’s devices. Most modems regardless of brand generally perform best when placed in a central, elevated location so the signal can be distributed through the entire space. For the DITO unit, I plugged it near a window by the kitchen table and living area as these were the busiest areas in the house. Obstructions like cement walls or doors can drastically affect performance, so I was fully prepared for a slower connection once I walked further away from the unit, went upstairs, or entered in different rooms.

DITO promised 100Mbps download speeds on their website, and while I was hopeful it could actually do this (or at least get close), it’s important to have realistic expectations: I went into this knowing that location will probably affect results. I first tested the unit in Marikina, which doesn’t always have the best speeds like central business districts and more populated cities do. 

I won’t bore you with numbers just yet if that’s not your thing; to some users,  it all boils down if the connection can deliver when they need it the most. In my case, I used the DITO modem for work and fared pretty well for the first half of the day just doing the usual: checking e-mails, writing articles, checking online content, and browsing different sites for news. Downloads were okay, but uploads was where I encountered problems.

All articles on the SPOT.ph website have photos, with plenty of them requiring a watermark before they’re uploaded. I felt how slow the connection was when I had to upload 10 photos in one go via laptop. What was a quick upload for our usual WiFi was a struggle for the DITO connection. 

Phone usage was no different. I was fine when I was consuming content, but there were times I couldn’t send Telegram messages or Teams messages with photos. I also tried uploading Instagram stories, but it took longer than what I was used to.

When it comes to leisurely browsing, I could definitely rely on the DITO modem, and that’s mostly what I used it for. I couldn’t risk slow uploads for articles and content during the day so I resorted to bringing the modem to the office to see if speeds would be faster in a busier area like Mandaluyong.

Now let’s talk numbers. I recorded these speeds in different places around my Marikina home, all on Speedtest.

It worked best when I was on my phone, sitting right next to the unit which was set up by the window.

Speedtest results:

• Download speed: 55.4Mbps

• Upload speed: 4.26Mbps

I went upstairs to run a Speedtest again, fully expecting a significant dip in both download and upload speeds. Apart from the ceiling and distance, the signals also had to go through cement walls and a door. 

Speedtest Results:

• Download speed: 12.9Mbps

• Upload speed: 2.86Mbps

My family members also connected to the DITO WoWFi modem, because realistically, several people and devices are trying to access the Internet at one time. A laptop upstairs that was relatively nearer to the modem recorded about half the best Speedtest result.

Speedtest Results:

• Download speed: 25.17Mbps

• Upload speed: 2.28Mbps

I was hopeful for the DITO WoWFi PRO in our Mandaluyong office, but sadly, it did not live up to expectations. About noontime, I connected to the modem and found it so slow—even the downloads—that I couldn’t access major sites and messaging platforms in the office. I thought it was just me so I asked officemates to connect, but it only led to frustration as nothing was loading for them.

Speedtest Results:

• Download speed: 7.60Mbps 

• Upload speed: 0.54Mbps

Repositioning the modem around the office seemed like the only option to lift the speeds back up to at least the double digits, but it never escaped the 10Mbps mark. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough for me to get work done, so I had no choice but to connect to the office WiFi instead.

Since the DITO WoWFi doesn’t have an application process, almost anyone can go buy the modem and the plan. It’s especially appealing to those who want Internet connectivity but don’t have time to fix paperwork and run the errand of applying for a connection and installation with the traditional telecommunication companies. If there’s enough room in your bag, you can definitely bring it to places, as long as where you’re going has a socket.

The price point is also hard to beat. With a one-time payment of only P7,290 for the entire year including the SIM and the modem, it’s a bang for your buck—provided that your area is serviced by DITO infrastructure. Our areas didn’t seem so lucky during time of testing, but we imagine it would be such a steal if it delivered at least upwards of 50Mbps of download speed and stable upload speeds. We understand why some DITO orders would require the assessment of staff because not all areas get the same speeds and connectivity, so if you’re considering DITO WoWFi, it’s really best to do your due diligence and check whether the areas you frequent are eligible for their service. DITO has a list of serviced areas, which you can check out online on their website.

As for signal strength, DITO’s modem suffers from the same drawbacks all other modems in the market do. Cement walls remain a major obstacle, and bigger homes with multiple floors might not be able to maximize the connectivity. However, those in smaller spaces like condos or bungalows could benefit greatly from having a DITO modem in their homes. It’s also lightweight and plug-and-play, so it’s easy to move around to get the best connectivity.

While the DITO WoWFi PRO 365 plan might not be for everybody, it does work wonders for those whose areas are serviced. At P7,290 for a year, that only comes down to P607.50 per month, and roughly P20.25 per day—not bad for unlimited data. For best results, we’d recommend getting in touch with DITO so you can properly figure out if your area is covered.