It used to be that unless you were a hardcore gamer, there was no reason to get a fibre broadband plan.
However, considering that most of our lives are conducted online now, a high-speed internet arguably improves our nasty, short and brutish lives.
Also, gone are the days when a 1 Gbps broadband plan would set you back by $399 a month. Since 2015, thanks to price wars, these ridiculously fast internet speeds have remained inexpensive, with the cheapest plan at $34.90 a month. In 2021, there are even more freebies.
We compare all the available plans in Singapore for you here so look no further.
Best fibre broadband plans in Singapore 2021 (24-month contract)
Here’s how much a 24-month contract would cost you now:
| ISP | Price/month | Registration fee | Service activation fee | Total cost of 2-year contract^ |
| WhizComms | $34.90 | Free | Free | $894.31 |
| M1 | $39.90 | Free | Waived up to $90 on weekdays 9am to 6pm | $1,073.16 |
| StarHub | $45.90 | Free | $56.71 | $1,066.51 (first 2 months free) |
| ViewQwest | $36.90 | Free | $56.71 | $942.31 |
| MyRepublic | $42.99 | Free | $53.50 | $1,085.26 |
| Singtel | $45.90 ($39.90 for new sign-ups) | Free | Free | $1,158.31 ($957.60 for new sign-ups) |
(updated 2 August 2021)
*FTP installation is only for homes that are not reached by fibre broadband yet. You can do a quick search to check if your house is covered at netlinktrust.com. To install a Fibre Termination Point (FTP) costs $160.50 for HDB and condominiums, or $288.90 for landed houses. This is imposed by the NetLink Trust (NLT), but a few telcos waive it (i.e. MyRepublic and Singtel as of Oct 2019).
^The total includes FTP installation. It includes a service activation fee from NLT of $56.71 (inclusive of GST), which is separate from ONT/Router activation.
Take note that price is not the only concern when you are choosing a high-speed internet plan. Let’s go into detail below.
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.
Its 12-month plan costs $40 per month, but the 24-month plan costs $34.90 per month, which is the cheapest in the market. You get:
- Free wireless router (brand not specified)
- Free weekday installation (9 am to 5.30pm)
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.
The true comparison perhaps lies in their mesh wifi plan. WhizComm’s 1Gbps Mesh Wi-Fi solution, which includes 2 TP-Link Deco M5 Mesh Wi-Fi routers, costs $49.90 per month. It comes with:
- Free activation fee (worth $53.50)
- Free weekday installation (worth $53.50)
- Free onsite Wi-Fi Audit Service
Good for: People who prefer the most no-frills, cheapest option.
M1 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband bundle
At $39.90 per month, the M1 fibre broadband bundle is the second cheapest. Aside to the attractive price, you get:
- Free next-generation Wifi 6 router (brand unspecified)
- 24 months 4G Mobile Broadband
- Home Fixed Voice Service
- Free modem to termination point activation, also known as ONT activation (up to $58.50) only for weekdays 9am to 5pm
- First 3 months free of Internet Security
You will have to pay a one-time registration charge of $58.85 for new sign-ups, and ONT activation. This is also termed as service activation by other providers, and is waived up to $90 for weekday services between 9am to 6pm.
Good for: Business users who will benefit from the mobile broadband usage.
StarHub 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband
StarHub’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan is one of the most affordable plans despite its price hike. By paying $45.90 per month, you get:
- Free Starhub Smart Wifi (2 units) worth $398
- Free 12-month subscription of Disney+ worth $143
- Free service installation
- Free 6 months subscription of JuniorProtect Basic – a parental control tool (normally $2.68 per month)
When you sign up online, you get free 2-months subscription. Use the promo code FREE2MTH.
Good for: Families with children who shouldn’t be looking at certain sites on the Internet.
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 like a VPN that gets around all geo restricted videos by rerouting your connection to streaming sites as if you are really connecting 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 $36.90 a month, you get:
- Admin fee ($53.50) waived
- Free 3-month Freedom DNS (worth $32.10)
- Free Modem Rental (worth $267.50)
- Free delivery and self installation (worth $100)
Good for: People who value privacy and/or want to watch region-locked dramas.
MyRepublic Ultra 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband
MyRepublic Ultra 1 Gbps Fibre Broadband is definitely not the cheapest on the list, but they bundle more freebies and if you are their mobile customer, you stand to benefit more. Also, 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.
For $42.99 per month, you get:
- Free TP-Link EX221 WiFi-6 router worth $249
- Multiple options to top up monthly payment for goodies such as +$3 a month for 2 Google Nest Wifi Mesh Systems
- Free FTP installation (worth $160.50) for new customers
- Free home phone line and unlimited local calls
- Up to 8GB of bonus data if you are a MyRepublic mobile customer
If you are living in a property that’s not home-reached yet, 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 $53.50 on top of the NLT Service Activation Fee.
The $42.99/month subscription price applies for 24 months of contract period, but the usual price of $59.99/month applies thereafter.
Good for: Gamers, and generally people who are sick and tired of Singtel or Starhub.
Singtel 1 Gbps Fibre Home Bundle
Singtel’s fibre broadband bundle is on the steep side, but they basically bundle all of the extra costs, such as registration fee, service installation, and FTP installation. The waiver of FTP installation is a big plus if your postal code has not yet been reached by fibre broadband.
From now until 22 Aug 2021, new Singtel sign-ups can get 1Gbps Fibre plan for $39.90 a month. You will also be entitled to the following benefits:
- Free weekend or weekday service installation worth up to $145 (for online sign-ups only)
- Free FTP installation worth up to $160.50
- 10% off mobile subscription with Singtel
- Free Singtel WiFi in public spaces
- 4G Mobile Broadband Plan (500MB Monthly)
If you’re not a new sign-up, it’ll cost $45.90 (online exclusive).
Good for: For people who hate hidden or extra fees. Also, Singtel mobile users get 10% off, which is not amazing, but better than nothing.
Home fibre broadband set-up and hidden costs
Fibre broadband is the latest network that delivers high-speed internet. Several years ago the government set to deploy fibre broadband infrastructure to residential homes.
1. 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, but if you missed that boat, now you have to pay.
After securing an appointment with NLT, usually through your internet service provider (ISP), NLT contractors will place FTP at a place of your choosing in your home. The cost is $160.50 for HDBs and condos, or $288.50 for landed property. In the past, all the ISPs dangle free FTP installation as a carrot, but now, only MyRepublic and Singtel do.
From 1 January 2018, they also charge an NLT service activation fee of $56.71, regardless of ISP.
Hidden costs: $160.50 or $288.50 for FTP installation (depending on property) and $56.71 for NLT service activation fee.
2. 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 termination point, and your router shares this connection to the entire house, so multiple devices can be connect to the fibre broadband network.
Before deciding on your ISP, look out for hidden fees such as registration fees and service activation fees. If you want the flexibility to change plans, you definitely want to also 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.
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