Singtel Broadband

If you guys have not heard about it, you can find more information from their Singtel website.

In summary though, let me just inform that they are offering a price of $68 for residential line, mobile and Internet connection.

Although it sounds too good to be true, I did a check on their claim that there are huge savings with their plan.

My main issue of the MIO plan is that there's no real savings! Currently, I'm paying ~$20 for my Starhub plan, ~$40 for Singnet Broadband 1500 and ~$8 for fixed line, total is about ~$68. The cheapest MIO plan cost $68. I have no problems changing my mobile telephone company since they have free number retention service but my main complain is the Internet service.

Seriously, I do not need 3Mbps local connection. I'll be happy with just 1500 and save some real expense instead. Our incomes have not increased, so it's more important to have real savings instead of more valued added services at the same price.

And for those who are not hardcore movie/mp3 downloaders and occasionally using the Internet just for basic surfing and checking of emails will find the 3Mbps often a tad too redundant.

To side-track a little, Let me tell you a secret about this marketing strategy. NOBODY can ever get what they sign up for. You sign up for 3Mbps but you will NEVER get that speed because there are a few factors.

1. The ISP will put more emphasis on download speed, sometimes not even mentioning upload speed at all as if that side of the equation is inconsequential to you, when in fact, upload speed can be a critical part of the performance puzzle.

2. (A bit techie) Internet uses IP as the protocol for communicating, therefore, and in particular, tcp/ip. So your data is going over your DSL line via tcp/ip over ATM. TCP has an overhead in transmission that can be as low as 3%, but ATM overhead is more like 10%.

3. So you can expect to lose 13% of your purchased speed at least when counting application data transfer rate. Making up a rule of thumb here: Given a broadband line speed, dividing by 8 and taking off 13% is a reasonable estimate of the maximum likely data download speeds (in bytes of data) you will manage to get.

4. Badly configured PC for Internet surfing. I will not indulge in this because this will totally stray away from the topic on hand.

5. Packet loss. Its not a typical packet of food that is lost. Packet here refers to data being transmitted across the cable wires. Again, I will not elaborate further on this.

6. Overloading an ISP gateway. ISPs don't purchase as much upstream bandwidth as the sum total of all of their downstream users. The trouble comes when they over-sell to the extent that peak bandwidth aggregated demand from their users gets near to the maximum capacity they have purchased.

Ok back to the topic on hand. Singtel give free modem when you sign their MIO plan. The modem is a model 2wire 2700HGV MODEM.

From the specifications, the 2wire HGV modem have 2 lines port. But one main concern is to enjoy the voice over ip, all telephone must be connected to your modem. Which means more wireless need to be done. It is really a hassle. Why can't they just connect it to the phone socket?

Also, to be able to support VoIP, your handphone must be Wi-Fi enabled. I just check their mio websites. This means that you require Internet (Wi-Fi) if you are outside. It seems to me that you need to acquire such a phone in the first place if you don’t have one. In addition not everywhere is wifi-connected yet. As of now, they only support a few models.

There is radiation issue ( health concern) about the provided DECK phone, when you are talking with the hand set, the radiation you exposed is about equivalent to the use of hand phone, But beside the handset, your DECK phone base station acts like a small radio transmitter, it emits radio signal 24 hours a day, irregardless whether you use the phone or not.

To have unlimited calling for a residential phone, the phone must be connected to your MIO box and the box must be turn ON if u wanna use the phone. The problem here is in case of a blackout, no house phone for you. Can you imagine if your home modem is spoil? Or cannot get a decent signal, thus the DSL light keeps blinking. Then how to call tech support?

Don't be fool by their marketing strategy. You will only have unlimited talktime provided you have Wi-Fi on your mobile phone and the contract is with the MIO plan. The only good thing is, if u sign up MIO plan, you can upgrade your phones every 12 months and need not pay the extra $100 dollars to the current price of a 2 yr contract signing as it's waived.

Please take note: All MIO plan does not include MIO mobile (Additional $15 for Wi-Fi Internet call)

This is a 2 and a half year contract and this makes your home line, your mobile, Internet all under contract. A good strategy to prevent people from jumping aboard to the green wagon.

My analysis ends here. Tell me, with too much cons than pros, I'd rather avoid the BIG umbrella and stay neutral, at least till there is something totally bogus coming my way.

The following is an All In One Information for everyone to take note about MIO Plan. With this information, everyone can get a clearer view about MIO Plan.

Customer A:

For NEW Customer who don't have any of Singtel Services. You can sign up for any MIO Plan.

At the moment registration fee, mio installation fee, mio box are waived during this launch promo until further notice. However there will be a 24 months contract tied to your MIO Plan comprises of Singtel Fixed Line, Singtel Mobile & Singnet.

Customer B:

For Existing Singtel Customer whose contract is less than 12 months for all / any of your Singtel Services, you are eligible to sign up for any of Mio Plans. At the moment registration fee, mio installation fee, mio box are waived during this launch promo until further notice. However there will be a 30 months contract tied to your MIO Plan comprises of Singtel Fixed Line, Singtel Mobile & Singnet.

Customer C:

For Existing Singtel Customer whose contract is less than 3 months for all / any of your Singtel Services, you are eligible to sign up for any of Mio Plans. At the moment registration fee, mio installation fee, mio box are waived during this launch promo until further notice. However there will be a 24 months contract tied to your MIO Plan comprises of Singtel Fixed Line, Singtel Mobile & Singnet.

Below additional informations are applicable for Customer A, B, C:

If your house don't have telephone socket or have telephone socket but no Singtel analogue fixed line, Singtel will provide telephone wiring with the socket and turn on the access for you and you will have to pay $52.50 for a 1 time charge. And for those who already have the current telephone socket & Singtel Analogue fixed line, you don't have to pay for telephone wiring with the socket and your Singtel Analogue Fixed line will be automatically converted to MIO Voice as part of MIO Plan bundle and you can port your existing Singtel Fixed Line Number at no extra charge or you can opt to use a new MIO Voice Number that starts with 6600 / 6611.

With the MIO Plan there is no quarterly rental fee for your telephone line. Also take note that once your Singtel Analogue fixed line has been converted to MIO Voice as part of MIO Plan bundle , you cannot make any calls using the telephone socket. Instead you can only make calls through the MIO Box.

However you can have the option of retaining your Singtel Analogue fixed line so that you can make calls in the event of blackout or when your MIO Box turn faulty and your Singtel Fixed Line Number cannot be the same number u have ported over to your MIO Voice (if u have chosen to port your existing Singtel Fixed Line Number), hence u will be given a New Singtel Fixed Line Number and there will be a quarterly rental fee of $26.25 and if u choose not to retain your Singtel Analogue fixed line and just let it convert to MIO voice as part of MIO Plan bundle, there will not be any quarterly rental fee.

What premiums will you get when you sign up for MIO Plan?

You will be entitled to purchase a new mobile handset at promotional price based on iOne Plus / iTWO Value / iTWO Plus mobile handset price and you will be given a FREE MIO Box. To purchase new mobile handset at promotional price for NEW MIO Plan sign ups, your contract with Singtel Mobile must be less than 3 months or no contract with Singtel Mobile.

When can you upgrade your mobile handset after you have sign up with MIO Plan?

As a MIO plan customer, you can upgrade your mobile phone every 12 months and enjoy a waiver of $100 handset upgrade surcharge. This is applicable to those with 24 months contract only. For those with a 30 months contract, you can upgrade your mobile phone only after the 18 months.

Will you be able to sign up for Singnet Freebies / any Singnet Promotions in future?

No, As long as you are under MIO Plan, you cannot sign up for any Singnet Freebies from Singnet. This is because the MIO Price plan bundle you are enjoying has been discounted.