Best Fibre Broadband Singapore 2024: Singtel vs Starhub vs M1 vs Others

It wasn’t long ago that blazing fast 1Gbps fibre broadband plans seemed like a luxury plan reserved for the high SES. However, technological advances and fierce competition have made these ultra-high speeds increasingly accessible to everyone. 

As early as 2015, the cheapest 1Gbps plan was available for just $34.90 per month – a far cry from the exorbitant $400 in the past. As Singapore gears up for an islandwide upgrade to 10 Gbps broadband by 2025 and the government invests up to $100 million to further improve affordability and availability, consumers can expect a slew of promotions and bundled offers from service providers.    

Consumers can look forward to an array of attractive promotions and freebies. Look no further—we compare all the available plans in Singapore for you here.

Contents:

1. Best 1Gbps fibre broadband plans in Singapore 2024 (24-month contract)
2. WhizComms 1 Gbps fibre broadband plan
3. M1 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband bundle
4. StarHub 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband
5. ViewQwest 1 Gbps Bundle Plan
6. MyRepublic Ultra 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband
7. Singtel 1 Gbps Fibre Home Bundle
8. SIMBA Fibre Broadband plan
9. Home fibre broadband set-up and hidden costs

 

1. Best 1Gbps fibre broadband plans in Singapore 2024 (24-month contract)

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

ISP	Price/mth	Registration fee	Total cost (2 year)*
ViewQwest	$29.99	Free	$1439.76
MyRepublic	$37.99	Free	$1439.76
StarHub	$38.24	Free	$2663.28
M1	$40.65	$54.50	$1721.28
Singtel	$49.07	$54.50	$1782.24

(updated 17 Apr 2024)

*The total cost is before 2 “hidden costs”—NLT’s service activation charge and FTP installation.

1. The service activation charge from NLT is $61.04 (inclusive of GST), and is only for new customers activating a new fibre port. This charge is separate from ONT/Router activation.
2. If your home does not have access to fibre broadband yet, you will have to pay for Fibre Termination Point (FTP) installation. You can do a quick search to check if your house is covered at netlinktrust.com. Installing an FTP costs $182.03 for HDB and condominiums, or $333.54 for landed houses. This is imposed by the NetLink Trust (NLT), an initiative led by the Singapore government that manages the infrastructure of Singapore’s Nationwide Broadband Network (NBN). A few telcos waive the FTP installation fee, such as MyRepublic.

Price is not the only concern when choosing a high-speed internet plan. Honestly, most plans offer similar fundamental features. What makes it interesting is the bundles and packages that cater to different preferences. Let’s do a deep dive below.

2. WhizComms 1 Gbps fibre broadband plan

Cheap has always been WhizComms’ selling point. Whatever the competition charges, they will come up with a plan that is just slightly cheaper.

They offer a 12-month plan that costs $21.80 per month—the cheapest in the market. It’s basically marketed as a no-frills plan, so there’s nothing much to shout about unless you just want your fibre broadband dirt cheap.

If you need a broadband plan with a wireless router, WhizComms offers a 12-month plan with a TP-Link Archer AX55 AX3000 for $27.25/month. Cheapest still compared to the market.

It’s important to note that both WhizComms plans come with a $54.50 installation fee and a $57.77 NetLink Trust activation fee. These fees are inclusive of the prevailing GST.

Good for: People who prefer the most no-frills, most economical option.

 

3. M1 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband bundle

At $40.65 per month, the 24-month 1GBps fibre broadband plan from M1 is affordable, especially considering the other perks and goodies that M1 throws in. New sign-ups get:

• Free Wifi 6 wireless router: TP-Link Archer AX72 (worth $195) or ASUS RT-AX3000P (worth $259)
• 24 months 4G Mobile Broadband
• Home fixed line
• Free modem to termination point activation, also known as Optical Network Terminal (ONT) activation (worth up to $91.68) only for weekdays 9 am to 6 pm

Good for: Users who want an all-in-one bundle combining home broadband with mobile data and a fixed voice line. All 1Gbps plans from M1 come with these 2 benefits.

For Gamers: If you feel that the free routers which are included in the regular 24-month 1Gbps contract don’t quite make the cut for your gaming needs, consider the M1 Gamepro 1Gbps plan. It comes with an ASUS TUF Gaming Router AX5400 (worth S$399) and a 24-month subscription, while stocks last.

 

4. StarHub 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband

StarHub’s 1Gbps fibre broadband plan is one of the most value-for-money plans out there. At $38.24 per month, you get:

• Free 1 WiFi 5 router with 1 LAN port
• 3 months of Amazon Prime
• Free service installation worth $91.68

Furthermore, StarHub goes the extra mile by offering the chance to upgrade your home entertainment with a Xiaomi A Pro 55″ TV (worth S$649) or a Samsung Freestyle Gen 2 Projector (worth S$1,513) with a top-up from as low as S$20/month. However, there’s an activation fee of $57.77 chargeable.

Note: The special price of $38.24 is the effective price when you sign up online with the promo code FREE3MTH. Only with this online promo (running till 30 Jun 2024) can you enjoy 3 months of Amazon Prime free subscription.

Good for: Those who love to stream shows on entertainment consoles at home.

 

5. ViewQwest 1 Gbps Bundle Plan

ViewQwest doesn’t really have the brand name of the big telcos, but their fibre broadband’s selling point is 3 months’ worth of free Freedom DNS.

What’s Freedom DNS? It’s basically a VPN that gets around all geo-restricted videos by rerouting your connection to streaming sites as if you are really watching from the designated country.

This means you can access previously geo-restricted content, like 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. After 3 months worth of Freedom DNS, you will pay $10.70 per month to continue it if you want to.

For $29.99./month, you get:

• Free 3 months SecureNet (worth $20.97)
• Free 3 months FDNS (worth $32.70)
• Waived admin and activation fee (Worth $112.27)
• Included modem rental (worth $269.97)
• Free delivery or onsite installation (worth $101.86)

Good for: People who prefer to stream international shows and watch in real-time.

 

6. MyRepublic Ultra 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband

Though MyRepublic Ultra 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband is not the cheapest on the list, they make it worth your while especially if you commit to their suite services, including their mobile subscription.

At $37.99 per month, the MyRepublic 1Gbps with TP-Link EX510 WiFi-6 Router Bundle gets you:

• TP-Link EX510 WiFi-6 router worth $269
• Free home phone line with unlimited local calls
• Free Termination Point installation (worth up to $163.50 for New Customers with No Prior TP)

If you are living in a home with no FTP, you can take advantage of the free FTP installation service, which other providers may charge for.

Do take note that there is a service installation fee of $59.90 on top of the NLT Service Activation Fee of $57.77.

Good for: Those who would need from scratch home broadband set up and mobile services & those who prefer one service provider for all their internet needs.

 

7. Singtel 1 Gbps Fibre Home Bundle

The most affordable Singtel fibre broadband bundle currently is the 1Gbps Plus, priced at $49.07/month. Note that this is a limited-time promotion, and the usual price is $64.07/month. The plan comes with Singtel GPON Optical Network Router for new sign-ups. On top of that, Singtel throws in extras to sweeten the deal for their fibre plans:

• Home line
• Weekday/weekend router installation waiver worth up to $147.71 (Online exclusive)
• Online registration waiver (worth $54.50)
• 1-month Broadband Protect (worth $3/month)
• 12-month Amazon Prime subscription (worth $2.99/month)
• Monthly bill discount (worth $15/month)
• Additional monthly bill discount for new sign ups (worth $4/month)

Good for: People who want tons of extra perks with their broadband plan.

8. SIMBA Fibre Broadband Plans

After the rebranding from TPG Singapore to SIMBA Telecom, the telco lived up to its name inspired by Singapore’s ‘Lion City’ nickname by disrupting the market with aggressively priced offerings.

Shaking things up in the broadband market just like they did for mobile plans, SIMBA offers an enticing 2.5Gbps fibre plan for only $20 per month (before GST). This budget-friendly option promises a better home internet experience with faster speeds.

For the quarterly payment option at $60 (before GST), you get 3 months of broadband service along with a one-time $56 NLT connection fee and $50 for ONT delivery and installation. The annual plan at $240 (before GST) covers 12 months of service with the same one-time fees included.

Good for: Those who prefer a flexible payment and subscription broadband plan.

9. Home fibre broadband set-up and hidden costs

As we gear up for the nationwide rollout of blazing 10Gbps broadband speeds, ensuring your home is equipped to handle this cutting-edge technology is essential. Here’s a look at the key steps and potential costs involved:

•  Set up Fibre Terminal Point (FTP)

The majority of homes in Singapore would have fibre broadband capabilities by now, following aggressive efforts by NetLink Trust to install the Fibre Terminal Point (FTP) for free. If you missed the boat, you would have to pay for them now.

After securing an appointment with NLT, usually through your internet service provider (ISP), NLT contractors will place FTP at a place of your choosing. The cost is $182.03 for HDB and condominiums or $333.54 for landed property.

NetLink Trust also charges an NLT service activation fee of $61.04, regardless of ISP.

Hidden costs: $162 or $291.60 for FTP installation (depending on the property) and $57.24 for NLT service activation fee.

• Set up modem and router with ISP

This process is also known as ONT activation, which most providers simply call service activation. Your ISP will connect the modem to the termination point, and your router shares this connection to the entire house, so multiple devices can be connected to the fibre broadband network.

Before deciding on your ISP, look out for hidden fees such as registration and service activation fees. If you want the flexibility to change plans, check that your ISP doesn’t impose high termination fees in a bid to lock you down beyond the contract.

Hidden costs: Registration fee, service activation fee (or ONT activation fee), termination fees.

Embracing the Future of Ultrafast Connectivity

With a multitude of ultra-fast broadband plans soon to hit the market, you will be spoiled for choice. From budget-friendly offerings to feature-packed bundles, finding the perfect plan will be key to maximising this game-changing internet speed. Stay informed, compare options wisely, and prepare to embark on an ultra-connected journey.

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