starhub

Mobile Broadband Comparison Test – M1 vs Starhub

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Green (StarHub) vs Orange (M1)

 

 

Despite being a long time customer with StarHub, I have decided to sign up a new line with M1, for my Galaxy Tab. I could have just subscribed a second sim card from StarHub, instead of a second line. But a recent incident with StarHub triggered my resolution to look at other options. Signing up M1 gives me the opportunity to evaluate their mobile services. Having lived with a mediocre mobile broadband service from StarHub, I was looking forward to M1’s offering, after all had been said about their services.

Here is the video of the comparison test. Test was carried out by running the speedtest application. I did not perform practical test such as timing of web page loading so that might be the next thing I could do. The outcome of the test was least surprising; On average, M1’s download/upload speed were rated at 1.7Mbps and 2Mbps respectively. StarHub, on the otherhand, scored a measly speed of 250kbps (download) and 125kbps (upload)!  The result was consistent with my frustrating experience all these years, where I even had to convince Starhub about the poor data coverage in areas where I normally surf using my mobile.

So it is high time we exercise our rights as an informed customer;  No more management escalation or contract termination threats. We have to act on our talk. The message (to the poor performing vendor) could not have been clearer when we bring our business somewhere else. In this case, it’s bye bye to Starhub if they continue to slack and do not buck up. Adios!

Competition — two sides of a coin

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Singtel has recently won the bid to have the exclusive right to broadcast Barclay Premier League matches from 2010 onward for 3 years.

jmo0132l

Whoever says that competition is good is really just tweaking the words to his world of advantage. This is a competition but definitely not in the interest of consumers. When it comes to competing for exclusivity, how can exclusivity be good for consumers? Exclusivity = Monopoly. It’s worst when exclusivity is obtained via money instead of through its product innovation. Utter crap !

Home zone trial

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Starhub’s technician came to our house this morning, to install an UMTS access point to our home router. This was for the “Home Zone” trial that I had signed up with Starhub recently. This trial program enables 3G phones to make and receive phone calls via the access point instead of connecting to the Starhub 3G phone network. As the access point is LAN-connected to our home router, 3G network access would therefore be through the internet, via the router/cable modem. The home zone, i.e. the access point network coverage, is approximately within the radius of 100m. Phone would auto switch to the home access point once it is within the home zone, and back to the normal GSM/3G network when it’s outside.