Best Mobile Broadband
By appletastic
The best mobile broadband service (IMHO)
I've been using mobile broadband for almost 2 years now and recently made the swop to the red side.
From the time M1 introduced the vodafone dongle for mobile broadband, I've been a subscriber as I really need it for work but I travel to the really rural areas in Singapore and wireless@sg can't be found. Even now when the network is upgraded, I still think wireless@sg is overrated.
However, when I was trying to research on which Mobile broadband services to subscribe to, I couldn't find a proper full review. Instead, I grasped alot of insight from alot of sites and was really quite confused for a while. I've also had the opportunity to compare all three mobile broadband services provider side by side while we're all doing the same work.
This is what I use my mobile broadband services for:
1) Email - Gmail via outlook express
2) Facebook
3) Youtube (about 3 hours worth daily)
4) work research
5) streaming music
I'm also pretty much logged on for about 12 hours daily so I'm quite a heavy user. This review has no control group or standardized testing. Instead, it was done through daily usage and side by side comparison.
Take it as a layman's guide to the best mobile broadband service providers.
M1
Weak signal in rural areas
erratic speeds
Constant disconnection problems (not due to hardware)
slow speeds (speedtest.sg returned 54kbps when I'm subscriped to a 2Mbps plan)
So many other problems that I told them no matter how many times they waived my subscription, it wasn't going to help because I'm willing to pay for something I can use and not get something I cant use for free.
Fantastic customer service, they constantly made me smile. (it didn't help me surf though)
Singtel
decent surfing speed (what you pay is what you get)
Strong connection with some blind spots. (in one test location, 2G connection from Singtel, no connection from M1, best 3G connection from Starhub)
Lousy customer service. ( queued 2 hours to apply. CSO had a tired look and didn;t look too happy. Not once did anyone smile. It was a big difference when I walked into M1 to cancel my mobile broadband sub., The place felt all sunshiny. In contrast, Singtel felt like a funeral)
Starhub
decent surfing speed (dependent on network and can be erratic on rainy days but generally stable)
Strong
connection with some blind spots. (in one test location, 2G connection
from Singtel, no connection from M1, best 3G connection from Starhub)
Didn't get to interact with their CSO but it seems they too are lousy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, go for Singtel or starhub. Don't even bother with M1. Even with a 50 gb cap on SIngtel, it's still sufficient for me to get my stuff done.
Hope this helps.
appletastic
P.s. Click to read how I'm faring with my new Mobile Broadband Services : )
Comments
I think this is standard industry practise. Good thing I wasn't bounded to a contract. However, I got almost 6 months worth of subscription waivers because I kept calling them to complain.
I gave up eventually because I didn't mind paying if the internet worked.
Good luck.
I am really convinced with singtel. Maybe starhub is the best. Seeing your review. Starhub connections even on rural areas or blindspot. it gives excellent connection. maybe i'll get starhub den.
I signed up with M1 for a 7.2Mb plan. Guess what, what I got was a 56k speed. I called the service hotline, it was later revealed to me that it was because I used it on a 26th floor-office, as it was too high-up (office building in CBD), the speed was slow. I got speechless and insisted that the contract was to be terminated immediately without any penalty (for brreaking the 2-year-contract)- guess what, I actually endured this for 8 months before calling them, what stupid me!!
hey , what is the exact internet speed should i get of signing up the 7.2mbps broadband because i had experience all sort of lag through my broadband . btw its from starhub .
I used to be fan of Starhub, but that had changed. I have a problem with Starhub. Just shifted to 26 floor in AMK, and realise that I cannot walk from the hall to my room during phone conversation, it will get cut off. My Starhub mobile broadband constantly disconnects download speed is far from the 2MBps.
My experience with my 3G unlimited Data plan on my mobile phone is also slow. From today onwards, I will vow to change all my lines away from Starhub once each contract is over.
Hi guys!
I've subscribed for M1 mobile broadband's 7.2Mbps plan. I've been using it for over a month now and I swear the fastest speed I've come across is around around 300K and you have to use it around 4/5 am in the morning get this speed.
So what's it like during peak hours when everyone else is also using? well, you get constant disconnections or you'll be surfing with speed < 1kbps. It's phREAKin insult to the customers.
I've done everything to clean up and optimize my system and I've to put my desktop near the window so that I could hang that weenie dongle "OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW". The signal's not weak at all (usually it's either over half/ full bars) but the speed is crawling even my grandma could run faster after having stroke.
My contract is 2 years. I just want to cry, cry and cry.
hallo, can I know if any M1 user here has tried changing the broadband device? I'm using the mobile broadband stick and also having lousy connection. After changing my SIM card it still doesn't work, and they suggested it may be a device problem. If it still can't work, I'll have to switch to the red side too! :(
Hi HF and Cheated by M1,
I sympathise with you.
Have you tried calling M1 and telling them to waive your subscription?
I called them many many times a month and I had almost 6 months free subscription. Eventually, I told them that just giving it to me free is no use as I needed the internet access.
Although the speed did not increase, at least I didn't pay for something I could not use.
You can try the same thing.Hope it helps a little bit
appletastic
Hello all!
Since M1 is notorious for riping off customers with its unusable services and yet remains adamant to improve it's infrastructure for many years despite hordes of customer complaints, let's gather up some weekend to make "peaceful" protest against their services and let the media know.
Don't waste your time at home surfing hours only to get through few pages! Let's take control and do something productive.
HI GUYS!
Ever since the day i subscribed to m1 mobile broadband, i have not seen the expected speed i'm suppose to get.
What's more frustrating is i keep getting disconnected!!
anyone give me ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO???
hey guys, i got no idea why, but it seems like i can get a good connection from m1 at yishun. i can always get up to 4-5mbps from a 7.2mbps plan
Hi Appletastic, I travel a lot too and have found that if you take your mobile broadband abroad the costs are very, very high. It's actual cheaper to buy a prepaid mobile broadband device in for the country you are in if you spend much time there. Failing that services that there's a few wireless hotspot service that you can sign up to that international, e.g. the T-Mobile one.
Hi M1 Conned,
my 2 cents:
1) Call M1 and get them to waive the subscription
2) Get Technical support to work with you over the phone
3) Bring your laptop down for them to set up the BBOM for you
If all these still doesn't work, cancel it and apply from starhub or singtel. If they want to charge a penalty, you may want to tell them that you have contacted them numerous times and that you did not get what you paid for and hopefully they will waive teh penalty.
Good luck!
I am a Starhub mobile broadband user, their signal maybe good and the program say it's connected. However during peak time it has a lot of disconnections, not able to display pages..
The quality has turned from Good to Unacceptable in the past 2 months.
I have done an early termination on the stupid service already, do not subscribe to Starhub
I used starhub for over a year (roughly)
This is wats happening
last year till December, I was pretty happy. Other than very rare cases of screwed up speed, (like less than once per month sometimes), I often get the speed I pay. (2mbps)
Den,
This year....Google takes more than a min. I can't load any video on youtube. same thing, lousier than ever. I called and complain, they were like.
"change setting"
Did wad they told me, and they insist they'll "check out the problem" which gave me gd connection for an hour. Then, even at 12am or later, I can't load freaking google or speedtest.net, which makes it impossible for me to test the speed even (though it tells u it sux enuff already)
So dun use sh
I was using m1, i complained so much they let me terminate at 4 months into the contract.
I am now with StarHub, they aren't much better than M1, but at least pages download.
All ISPs in SG will be reverting from unlimited downloads on mobile broadband very soon, I would rather goto SingTel and hopefully you pay a little more and get a better service. I heading to them in a few months. Enough with the cheap crap.
Hey Buck,
Im with the Big Red right now and thinking of switching to Starhub. It sucks. Constantly no network and no connection. I use it on my iphone 3GS and most often in Bukit Merah, Queensway area. Network can be spotty. I wouldn't recommend Singtel but looks like if M1, STarhub and SIngtel all are bad, then we're screwed.
M1 sucks bigtime at Bukit Merah...
Was thinking of switching to Singtel for the dongle.. But after hearing what you commented about the network being a big issue for even Singtel... Its dead!
basheer 23 months ago
m1.what a worst service.with a 2 mbps connection,cannot reach even an average of 512 kbps.is there any possibilities to convert into singtel or starhub? (like mobile phone)i sighned a 2 year contract.when i try to terminate my service they asked me to settle down payment for the whole contract period.how ridiculous?