Starhub vs. Singtel, which to choose?

[jaema]

We are moving to Singapore and need to figure out our utilities situation.

From what I understand, for cable television Starhub is the only choice, and we just pick and choose the channel packages we want. Is the best way (price, etc.) to do this just on Starhub's website?

What about broadband and telephone services? We need fast and reliable broadband service as well as reliable, well priced telephone service with international calling plans. Should we go with Starhub's bundle packages or Singtel's bundle packages?

Finally any suggestions on mobile phone providers?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[sundaymorningstaple]

6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

[JayCee]

We are moving to Singapore and need to figure out our utilities situation.

From what I understand, for cable television Starhub is the only choice, and we just pick and choose the channel packages we want. Is the best way (price, etc.) to do this just on Starhub's website?

What about broadband and telephone services? We need fast and reliable broadband service as well as reliable, well priced telephone service with international calling plans. Should we go with Starhub's bundle packages or Singtel's bundle packages?

Finally any suggestions on mobile phone providers?

Thanks for any suggestions.

For international calls I wouldn't worry about which phone company you go with, the best way to call international is to use one of the numerous international phone cards which you can buy from any local phone shop. To give an example, I buy an IDT card for $8 which gives me 16 hours call time to UK landlines which works out just over 1 cent per minute. The cards have local access numbers which you dial so you'll get charged for local calls, so try and get a package which includes free local calls for a couple of years (my starhub internet contract included a free voice over IP phone line and free local calls for 2 years).

Just shop around and see which one offers the better deal.

For cable tv, starhub is not the only choice anymore as Singtel's MioTv has entered the market and certainly if you want to watch English premier league football, champions league football, Formula 1, tennis etc... you'll need MioTv as they have the rights to all these things from August. If you want movies, news and entertainment channels then Starhub is still the way to go as they have HBO, star world, Fox, CNN etc...
For me, I now have both (no choice if I want to watch the football )

As for signing up, you can go into any of their shops or do it online, personally I prefer to do it in person as I can then talk to someone and ask questions. You won't be able to sign up before you have your Singapore resident card (EP, PR or however else you will be living here) anyway so I wouldn't worry about it until you arrive

[revhappy]

Lot of people dont know, but Starhub's hubstation has 1 mbps broadband free. 1 mbps is all we need as we have just 1 laptop at home and for a single user its more than enough. So I have saved quite an amount of money on my broadband bills

[jaema]

Thanks for the great advice. I think we will go with Starhub and pick and choose.

Has anyone used Starhub's telephone service? Just wondering if there are any disadvantages to using their telephone service, which is digital and not analog.

Oh, and do both Starhub and Singtel have reliable and fast broadband, or is one better than the other?

Thanks again!

[nakatago]

Has anyone used Starhub's telephone service? Just wondering if there are any disadvantages to using their telephone service, which is digital and not analog.

Turn off the modem, and the phone goes off too. In terms of usability when it is on, no discernible issue yet.

[durain]

starhub home phone is VoIP. no difference to copper wired phone except what nakatago mentioned.

good thing about VoIP is you can take your home phone number with you when you move (and stay with starhub).

[x9200]

starhub home phone is VoIP. no difference to copper wired phone except what nakatago mentioned.

good thing about VoIP is you can take your home phone number with you when you move (and stay with starhub).

Same with Singtel but it cost you some money... monthly (call forwarding).

[JayCee]

Thanks for the great advice. I think we will go with Starhub and pick and choose.

Has anyone used Starhub's telephone service? Just wondering if there are any disadvantages to using their telephone service, which is digital and not analog.

Oh, and do both Starhub and Singtel have reliable and fast broadband, or is one better than the other?

Thanks again!

All depends on what area and building you live in really, I pay for a 12MB connection with starhub but sometimes the connection is really slow and other times is super fast, I'm told it's the same with singtel. There's no real difference between the 2. I will be cancelling my contract when the 2 years is up in october but that's just because I've found that I don't really take full advantage of the full 12MB speed so there's no much point paying out for it.

I've had no problems with using my starhub home phone line for over 18 months now, it's just plugs into the back of the cable modem and that's it, very easy and always get a good connection

[jaema]

Thanks - you touch on something I didn't realize, which is that Starhub sells 30mbps, 60mbps, and 100mbps - is there really a discernible difference in the speeds? Unfortunately I don't know how the service is to my building (which is about 10 years old) so don't know if it is worth it to pay up.

Thanks again.

Thanks for the great advice. I think we will go with Starhub and pick and choose.

Has anyone used Starhub's telephone service? Just wondering if there are any disadvantages to using their telephone service, which is digital and not analog.

Oh, and do both Starhub and Singtel have reliable and fast broadband, or is one better than the other?

Thanks again!

All depends on what area and building you live in really, I pay for a 12MB connection with starhub but sometimes the connection is really slow and other times is super fast, I'm told it's the same with singtel. There's no real difference between the 2. I will be cancelling my contract when the 2 years is up in october but that's just because I've found that I don't really take full advantage of the full 12MB speed so there's no much point paying out for it.

I've had no problems with using my starhub home phone line for over 18 months now, it's just plugs into the back of the cable modem and that's it, very easy and always get a good connection

[nakatago]

Put it this way:

* those are theoretical maximum rates
* ISPs are never able to deliver the advertised rates--this is WORLDWIDE, not just Singapore
* For cable internet, you all share the bandwidth of the node you're sharing
* Congestion (and slow downs) WILL happen because of human behavior (and the ensuing usage that go with it) and you all end up going no faster than the slowest package

Thanks - you touch on something I didn't realize, which is that Starhub sells 30mbps, 60mbps, and 100mbps - is there really a discernible difference in the speeds? Unfortunately I don't know how the service is to my building (which is about 10 years old) so don't know if it is worth it to pay up.

Thanks again.

Thanks for the great advice. I think we will go with Starhub and pick and choose.

Has anyone used Starhub's telephone service? Just wondering if there are any disadvantages to using their telephone service, which is digital and not analog.

Oh, and do both Starhub and Singtel have reliable and fast broadband, or is one better than the other?

Thanks again!

All depends on what area and building you live in really, I pay for a 12MB connection with starhub but sometimes the connection is really slow and other times is super fast, I'm told it's the same with singtel. There's no real difference between the 2. I will be cancelling my contract when the 2 years is up in october but that's just because I've found that I don't really take full advantage of the full 12MB speed so there's no much point paying out for it.

I've had no problems with using my starhub home phone line for over 18 months now, it's just plugs into the back of the cable modem and that's it, very easy and always get a good connection

[therat]

In term of broadband, I prefer Singnet , more stable. Con side is need to sign up a telephone line which need to pay $26.XX for every 3 mths. Even you didn't use it to make a call

For cable TV, I prefer Starhub SCV.
Singnet MIO cannot make it. Limited program. Slow in reboot.
And it does not have CSI

Now starhub has promotion, you can check it out
http://www.starhub.com/promotions.html

[revhappy]

....Now starhub has promotion, you can check it out
http://www.starhub.com/promotions.html

When did starhub not have a promotion? lol

[JayCee]

For cable TV, I prefer Starhub SCV.
Singnet MIO cannot make it. Limited program. Slow in reboot.
And it does not have CSI

But if you're a sports fan it's pretty much the only option from august

[therat]

....Now starhub has promotion, you can check it out
http://www.starhub.com/promotions.html

When did starhub not have a promotion? lol

they forever has promotion