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So your broadband contract is almost up. Should you recontract, hang on at the monthly rate until a good promotion comes along, or switch to another provider?
Well, here’s a deal for you to consider: Those who switch to Singtel’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan will get 12 free months of Singtel TV, 6 free months of HBO Pak, a free router and other value-add services… all for just $39.50*/month. FYI, the usual price is $49.90/month — that’s instant savings of $10.40/month, or almost 21% discount.
We recently did a comparison of the other fibre broadband providers on the blog, and Singtel’s current offer is the best deal right now, especially when there’s Singtel TV and so many other freebies thrown in (we calculate the total value below).
*$39.50 is the effective price of the bundle after factoring in 5 FREE months.
Should you switch? We break down the offer details for you here:
12 FREE months of Singtel TV
On Singtel TV, enjoy entertainment across various genres, from cartoons and sports to Asian dramas and blockbuster movies. These are categorised into packs — Starter Packs, Trio Packs, Value Packs, Ultimate Packs, and Add-on Packs.
Those who switch to Singtel’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan get to enjoy free subscription on one Singtel TV pack for a year. Of course, premium channels like mio Stadium+ (Premier League, anyone?) or Ultimate Packs are not included. But the value is still pretty sweet.
You can choose from the following packs when you sign up:
- Family Starter at the discounted rate of $29.90/mth (U.P. $34.90/mth)
- Family Lifestyle (U.P. $23.90/month)
- Family Fun (U.P. $23.90/month)
- Family Learning (U.P. $23.90/month)
- Family Favourites (U.P. $23.90/month)
- Family KPlus (U.P. $23.90/month)
- Jingxuan Starter (U.P. $29.90/month)
- Inspirasi Starter (U.P. $21.90/month)
- Kondattam Starter (U.P. $24.90/month)
- Desi Starter (U.P. $29.90/month)
- Action Trio (U.P. $52.90/month)
- Jingxuan Trio (U.P. $57.90/month)
- Inspirasi Trio (U.P. $57.90/month)
- Kondattam Trio (U.P. $52.90/month)
- Desi Trio (U.P. $52.90/month)
So assuming I’m going to pick the most expensive pack — Jingxuan Trio to get my Japanese anime/food and travel documentaries and Korean/Chinese variety show fix — that’s almost $700 of value.
Price of Jingxuan Trio @ $57.90/month x 12 free months = $694.80 of value
6 FREE months of HBO Pak
Since I opted for the Jingxuan Trio Pack, most of the entertainment I get is Asian. What happens if I want to watch a blockbuster movie or HBO original content?
This deal gives me 6 free months of HBO Pak, which is a premium pack of 6 HBO Asia channels — HBO HD, HBO SIGNATURE (HD), HBO FAMILY (HD), HBO HITS (HD), CINEMAX (HD), and RED BY HBO (HD), which is an Asian movie channel. I’ll also get access to HBO On Demand on Singtel TV, as well as HBO GO so I can stream shows anywhere.
Price of Add-on Pack HBO Pak @ $13.98/month x 6 free months = $83.88 of value
FREE dual-band wireless router
There are a few types of routers, starting with single-band, which is the cheapest but also the most limited as it supports a lower maximum speed. So I’m happy that Singtel is giving a dual-band wireless router, as it supports 5 GHz connectivity for a faster, more stable connection for my many devices at home, and 2.4Ghz connection for other connected devices like smart home sensors and locks which can work with lower speeds.
Although I have an existing wireless router, it’s been working 24/7 for over two years… a good reason to get a new one! If I didn’t have a wireless router, I’d definitely appreciate the convenience of getting one so I don’t need to go down to the store, shell out money for one, and figuring out how to install it correctly.
Price of dual-band wireless router = $229 of value
Fast speeds with hardly any lag
How fast is 1Gbps fibre broadband exactly? Singtel states its typical local download speed is 851.2Mbps to 966.56 Mbps, so a high-definition movie will roughly take you a matter of seconds to download — or stream with hardly any lag. Even if there are multiple users at home, the high bandwidth can support say, one person gaming and the other watching a HD movie on their home entertainment system.
I usually place the wireless router in the middle of my house so that I can stay connected when in the bedroom, living room or in the kitchen. The more walls the signal needs to pass through, the poorer the connection. Even your neighbour’s Wifi network can cause interference. So that explains why you cannot get the Wifi signal sometimes when you are in the toilet, because due to the layout of the house and the number of walls/doors, it has become a deadzone.
My home is a modest 3-room flat, so I don’t really have this problem. Otherwise, Singtel offers the option to top-up for a Wifi Mesh solution to expand your Wifi coverage from $10/month.
When it comes to connectivity, rest assured because Singtel is continuously improving its network to deliver better connectivity to customers islandwide.
A plethora of channels for the whole family
Did you know that Singtel TV offers over 200 channels and that is currently the highest number of channels* being offered by a pay-TV provider in Singapore right now? (*Info correct as of 9 Dec 2019)
In addition to HBO, some of the other premium channels (not included in the free 12-month promotion) include the recently launched TVB (Jade and Xing He) for all your Hong Kong entertainment needs (psst… there’s a Canto Pack (No Contract) offer till 31 March 2020 at $0.90/month) and beIN SPORTS for live coverage of the Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, American Major League Soccer and the Australian A-League (from $5.90/month; subscribe for 12 months to get 3 months free).
Choice content picks
I’m not a sports fan, but footie fans will most likely perk up at the mention of Premier League, which Singtel offers as part of its content line-up. There’s also education content on Discovery Channel, which also has a Science and Asia focus, as well as an On Demand service, available on Singtel TV’s Family Starter, Family Learning and Family Favourites packs — which can be selected as your 12 months free Singtel TV offer.
This is actually a big thing for fans of Premier League and Discovery Channel, because Singtel is the only Pay TV Provider offering these 2 channels.
And since those who switch to Singtel’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan also get the 6-month free HBO Pak, there’s more choice content like HBO Originals and blockbuster movies. Other channels that you can add to your plan include Fight Sports, (HD) Outdoor Channel, NHK World Premium, Food Network (HD), Travel Channel HD, Comedy Central Asia (HD) and more.
Case in point: Those who were subscribed to beIN SPORTS enjoyed complete and live coverage of the Rugby World Cup 2019 when it was held from Sept to Nov this year, telecast live from Japan.
Easy fibre installation (with tracking) and other value-added perks
Living in the digital age has its perks, because if I sign up with Singtel’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan via the web, I’ll not only beat the queues (and save on transport and travelling time), but enjoy free registration (U.P. $53.50) and free router installation (worth up to $145). You can even track your appointment booking/installation easily through the My Singtel App.
Other perks (for new sign-ups) include:
- Free 6 months DVR ($12.90/month)
- Free Singtel TV GO ($6.90/month)
- Free dual-band wireless router (U.P. $229 as mentioned above)
- Free Singtel Wifi at over 1,600 hotspots
- Fibre termination point installation waiver (worth up to $160.50)
- Up to 30% off your Singtel mobile subscription with Singtel Circle
After factoring all the above, here’s what I can get if I do decide to sign up online to switch my broadband plan to Singtel’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan — and this is just counting the dollar value on a 2-year contract, without the other value-added perks:
| WHAT | $ VALUE | |
| 12 free months of Singtel TV | Up to $694.80 | |
| 6 free months of HBO Pak | $83.88 | |
| Free wireless router | $229 | |
| Free registration | $53.50 | |
| Free router installation | Up to $145 | |
| 6 free months DVR | $12.90 x 6 months = $77.40 | |
| 6 free months Singtel TV GO | $6.90 x 6 months = $41.40 | |
| Fibre termination point installation waiver | Up to $160.50 | |
| 10% off your mobile subscription | $5 x 24 = $120 (assuming a $50/month plan that runs for 2 years) | |
| GRAND TOTAL: $1,605.48 | ||
For a limited time only, switch to Singtel’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan for just $39.50*/month with sign-up of Singtel TV.
It’s really too good a deal to pass up — just looking at the usual subscription fee of $49.90/month, that’s a pure $10.40 savings per month. Add to that the freebies like 12 months Singtel TV, 6 months HBO Pak, wireless router and other perks that amount to over $1,700 as well as Singtel TV-only content… it’s quite an obvious choice.
Click here to switch to Singtel’s 1Gbps Fibre Broadband plan. Alternatively, you can call 1609 or walk into any Singtel store to enquire and sign up. Find a Singtel shop nearest to you.
All prices/information above are correct as of 9 Dec 2019. Prices are before GST.
What do you usually look for when you sign up for a fibre broadband plan? Let us know in the comments below!