Which Internet Service Provider Has the Best 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband 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.

Since 2015, prices of these ridiculously fast internet speeds have remained low, with the cheapest plan at $39 a month. That’s pretty affordable. We compare all the available plans in Singapore 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. Price wars among the 6 companies mean that we consumers come out the winners. Here’s how much a 24-month contract would cost you now:

(updated 1 Feb 2018)

StarHub, WhizComms and M1 are offering the lowest prices for 1Gbps plans in Singapore. They all have low monthly subscriptions, but StarHub ekes out the hard-fought victory because of their $30 bill rebate (which is an online exclusive). 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:

(updated 1 Feb 2018)

You will notice that many ISPs are offering a free router, but unfortunately, they don’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 Broadband 1 Gbps

1. Free 24 months 4G Mobile Broadband – 500 Mbps per month

2. Free Home Fixed Voice Service

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

Good for: Business users who will also benefit from the mobile broadband usage. Note that Singtel also offers mobile broadband.

StarHub 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband

1. Free 12 months of HomeInsured – a home contents insurance plan

2. Free 6 months subscription of JuniorProtect Basic – a parental control tool (normally $2.68 per month)

3. $30 bill rebate

Good for: Families with children who shouldn’t be looking at certain sites on the Internet.

Singtel 1 Gbps Fibre Home Bundle

1. Free Home Digital Line

2. Free 24 months 500Mbps 4G Mobile Broadband – 500 Mbps per month

3. 10% off one mobile line subscription

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 Fibre Broadband

1. Free 2 month subscription for 11th and 12th months

2. 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.

ViewQwest 1 Gbps

1. Free 3 months Freedom DNS (normally $10.70 per month)

Good for: People, for whatever reason, who don’t want servers online to know that you’re based in Singapore. With Freedom DNS, you can access previously geo-restricted content, like from YouTube, Hulu, or even Netflix US. Freedom DNS is more convenient than traditional VPNs because it is automatically enabled and doesn’t require you to manually change your VPN’s region when necessary.

WhizComms 1 Gbps

1. $40 NTUC vouchers

Good for: People who prefer going with one of the lowest-priced options, rather than being enticed with “freebies”.

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 one of the lowest monthly subscription, waives up to a maximum of $58.85 for the Fibre Termination Point Installation, and is only valid for weekday installation.

This means that if you sign up with M1, you may incur more costs if you missed the free Termination Point installation by NetLink Trust, or you need to do the installation on the weekends.

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 Fibre Broadband Plan in Singapore? appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.

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