Prepaid wireless broadband - does it exist ?

[dbenne22]

I have just arrived in Singapore and need internet access to help with jobhunting. The mobile offering from Vodafone looks excellent and cheap (just $22 per month) but without an EP they won't sign me up.

Any ideas ??

[Splatted]

take your wireless laptop and sit at a mcdonalds/starbucks for now?

It is possible to sign up for free wireless access also through the main carriers, though I think you need a Singapore ID card for that.

Can I presume you are not a local? I'm surprised you would arrive in Singapore without a job already secured beforehand

[ChicagoMike]

well, depending on your connection / privacy needs, there is always the option of the free WiFi that you will find all at cafes and coffee shops over town... for instance, M1 offers free WiFi at Bugis (there is a TCC and starbucks within signal range). works best with a laptop, of course. setting up a PC at starbucks would be quite odd, eh?

[bigfilsing]

If you're staying at a condo then see if there's any wireless networks available in range. If so then post a flyer requesting temporary access and offer to pay towards the subscription.

I've just done the same for a guest staying in the condo above me. Works fine as a temp solution.

Good luck

[ChicagoMike]

also, M1 offers 3G / GPRS / Wap (whatever the hell it is called) with their prepaid SIM cards (be sure to get the correct one!).

the rates are a bit expensive, but you can then use your mobile phone as a dial-up modem (well, at least with my Nokia + MAC combo) with fairly good data rates.

not a recommended solution for high data traffic web surfing - but pop3 e-mail and IM is acceptable.

more info here:
http://www.m1.com.sg/ look for "GSM Prepaid"

[Investment Associates]

I seek advice on Sing Tel 3G Air Card / GPRS / CDMA / GSM / Mobile Internet “Air cards”

[jpatokal]

also is it possible to buy a 3G / GPRS / Wap-enable SIM card, and slip the SIM card in my notebook computer’s existing Sony-Ericsson GC-85 PCMCIA card? That is what we do in Thailand and in Hong Kong.

Yes, but as Mike says above, the normal rates are pretty steep and will burn through your prepaid cards quite fast. I'm not aware of any operators offering unlimited data plans in Sing at the moment...

[hello_20]

Heard from a friend that the M1 broadband is quite costly and slow. I was also told that there was not unlimited. It is good to check this out before you subscribe. I'll stick to my singnet for now.

Cheers.