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Which Internet Service Provider Has the Best 1 Gbps Plan in Singapore?

Which Internet Service Provider Has the Best 1 Gbps Plan in Singapore?

Here in Singapore, there’s never any decent roads to race on. Yet, there are some of us that insist on buying supercars for the speed they’re capable of, even if it’s just to hit the accelerator for all of 2 seconds at a time. Off the road, we have other speed demons in our midst – Internet speed demons.

Unless you’re a hardcore online gamer, there’s really no reason why you need to get 1 Gbps fibre broadband plans. However, over the past year, prices of these ridiculously fast internet speeds have become almost equivalent of a 200Mbps connection just 2 years ago. So why not get one now? We break it down for you here:

What are the pricings available?

Gone are the days when a 1 Gbps broadband plan would set you back by $399 a month. Since end-2014, the price war between the internet service providers have reduced monthly subscriptions to around $50 and below.

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Here’s how much a 24-month contract would cost you:

M1

StarHub

SingTel

MyRepublic

ViewQwest

Plan

Fibre 1 Gbps

1 Gbps Fibre Broadband

1 Gbps Unlimited Fibre

Ultra 1 Gbps

1 Gbps

Price per month

$39

$49.90

$50

$49.99

$65

One-time fee

$48.15

$53.50

$53.50

$58

$79.25

Total Cost of Contract

$984.15

$1251.10

$1253.50

$1257.76

$1639.25

M1 seems to be the clear winner of the price war, with both a ridiculously low monthly subscription as well as the lowest one-time fees charged. But of course, price is not and should not be the only factor you consider when choosing an ISP.

How much do you have to pay for a router?

It’s no use having a superfast Internet connection if you’re still using a router you got when Mr Goh Chok Tong was Prime Minister. Signing up with one of these internet service providers means you can get free or discounted routers.

Here’s what each ISP is offering:

M1

StarHub

SingTel

MyRepublic

ViewQwest

Router

Asus RT-AC56S
(Other models also available)

Unspecified Wireless-AC Dual Band Router

Various models offered

Various Asus models

Various Asus models

Price

$5 per month
or $129
(other models priced at $229 and $289)

Free

$229 – $329
(after $100 discount)

$69 – $299
(after $100 discount)

$109 – $309

Starhub is the only ISP that offers a free router, but unfortunately, it doesn’t specify which particular brand or model that router is from. Of course, if you’re not happy with it, you can always buy your own router, but that’s going to set you back more.

What other freebies come with these 1 Gbps plans?

These are the services and accessories that come with the 1 Gbps plans.

M1 Fibre 1 Gbps

  1. Free 24 months 300Mbps Mobile Broadband – capped at 1 Gb

  2. Free Home Fixed Voice Service

  3. Free 3 months subscription to Internet Security (normally $3.75 per month)

  4. Free 12 months subscription to MiBox (normally $8.56 per month)

  5. Free Dect Phone (Online Exclusive)

Good for: Business users who will also benefit from the mobile broadband usage. MiBox isn’t exactly enticing but it’s a good enough replacement for having to pay for cable tv as well.

StarHub 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband

  1. Free Starhub TV Lite (including Free Set-Top Box rental and 10% off Video on Demand titles)

Good for: Starhub TV subscribers will benefit from this complementary service, with the rental fee for the set top box waived.

Singtel 1 Gbps Unlimited Fibre

  1. Free Home Digital Line

  2. 10% off mobile subscription (selected plans only)

  3. 4G Mobile Broadband Plan (500MB)

Good for: For people with a SingTel mobile line, you can get 10% off your monthly subscription for one nominated line. Nothing fantastic but you still save a little bit.

MyRepublic Ultra 1 Gbps

  1. Free 3 month subscription for 10th, 11th and 12th months
    OR
    free Lenovo A606 handset (can trade in for other models)
    OR
    additional $100 off router price (for a total of $200 off)

  2. Free 3 months subscription to F-Secure Internet Security

  3. Free Home Voice

Good for: Gamers, and generally people who are sick and tired of SingTel or Starhub. MyRepublic has specific packages for gamers, and unlike the main telcos, MyRepublic and ViewQwest are known for not throttling their streaming speeds, according to a lot of feedback posted online.

Also, MyRepublic is currently having an SG50 promotion which gives you $500 free credits, which is essentially 10 months free Internet, but we can’t guarantee that it will still be available (our Editor rushed down the day after the post was released).

ViewQwest 1 Gbps

  1. Free Viewqwest TV

  2. Free 3 months Freedom VPN (normally $10.70 per month)

Good for: Users of overseas video sites like Netflix and gamers. The VPN allows users access to these sites but you will still need to sign up for the service itself for some sites. If you are in some super hardcore need of Internet speed for many users in a big house, they also have a 2 Gbps plan as well.

What are the hidden costs you may incur?

While all the ISPs do waive fibre termination point installation costs and Optical Network Terminal activation costs, you have to take note of the limitations of these waivers. For example, M1, even though it has the lowest monthly subscription, waives up to a maximum of $235.40 for the Fibre Termination Point Installation and is only applicable for customers who do not have an existing Fibre Termination Point installed at the Service Address and sign up for Fibre GamePRO 1Gbps promotion.

This means that if you sign up for the normal Fibre 1Gbps plan, you may incur more costs if you missed the free Termination Point installation by NetLink Trust.

Are you currently using a 1Gbps plan? Which ISP are you on and what is your experience with them? Let us know.

The post Which Internet Service Provider Has the Best 1 Gbps Plan in Singapore? appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.

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