Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Mouth Watering Surfing Speeds

When the headline says, "Singtel ups the ante", one assumes the biggest telco in town is achieving something worth crowing about. Instead, it simply confirms what is public knowledge: paying customers have been short changed for their internet access speeds.

The "typical speeds" of it's fastest mobile broadband plan - 21Mbps - could only manage 4.8Mbps at best, a far cry from their advertised claims. The small print says "The typical speed range was derived through an analysis of real user data over multiple 24-hour windows at various locations around Singapore, including major 3G hotspots." We are not told what broadband speed test was used for the findings.

The Numion website provides a very vigorous checkout. It measures surfspeeds inside Singapore and out (worldwide). The time to ping the server at Singtel's Exeter Road HQ is meaningless when you want to access CNN or BBC for the real news. Who wants to place their trust on a politically biased website?
Typical "bad hair day" surfing experience in Singapore
The curiosity is that Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) spokesman Seah Seng Choon does not seem to be bothered by the sub par performance, but simply chorussed the Singtel tune of being "a first for the mobile industry in Asia" to broadcast its pathetic delivery on promises. The other ISPs are probably holding off until they get their act together. In countries other than Singapore, false advertising is a magnet for law suits. Other countries, which can achieve mouth watering speeds such as illustrated below.

9 comments:

  1. Surely this is false advertising, isn't it?

    Why don't just call it Classic 2.1, Priority 3.7 and Premium 4.8 instead?

    I think the Premium subscribers should pay the current Classic plan and get a refund.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maybe the 21Mbps customers were getting 4.8Mbps because the difference is the "spare capacity", just like Singapore Power is billing 9,800MW electricity rates while delivering only 6,500MW.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The premium plans are not really that premium afterall unlike that S$1 abalone porridge offered by a PAP MP. To me, that's a con job.

    And the cunning operators are like getting away scot-free from murder, with all the help they can get from CASE & IDA ?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Singtel's subsidiary in Australia, Optus, was just recently kenna tekaned by the Oz authorities for misleading advertising on internet/network speeds. Optus was forced to remove its advertisements and issue public statement to correct its claims. Can't remember if Oz authorities fine Optus or not. Singtel thought that rules in other countries same as S'pore.

    In Singapore, big companies and big-shot individuals get away with 3rd-world behaviour & practices. In other 1st world countries, they will be walloped good by their authorities, public watch dogs, and members of the public themselves. No wonder even old fart calls us daft sheep.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not only that, they also try to counter with a smear campaign against another provider...tsk tsk..ring familiar? Like some SMC case recently?

    http://www.smh.com.au/business/optus-fined-for-misleading-ads-20110518-1esb8.html

    http://www.smartcompany.com.au/legal/20101214-optus-accuses-vodafone-of-misleading-advertising-in-federal-court.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Maybe our world class 'public' transport operators can start advertising: "travel in cool comfort during peak hours - switch to air-conditioned travel with our friendly bus captains, cruise home at 60km/h".

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) spokesman Seah Seng Choon does not seem to be bothered by the sub par performance, "


    Driver asleep. Slaps Needed!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Who knows what sort of PAP links the big companies - especially the GLC - has, thats why they can get away with false advertising. Kudos to Australia authorities for whacking the pretenders. What is CASE role, pro-consumer or pro-business? Who knows, CASE Seah maybe also linked to PAP.

    ReplyDelete
  9. quite true..in Tokyo in 2005 (100Mbs optical fiber + 24Mbs wireless for 4500 Yen a month) I had faster speed than Singapore now at less price...Also better public transport..better cleanliness..better customer service..better shopping options.. and not so much self praise as here by Govt...moving to Singapore because of job has been a big let down personally..

    ReplyDelete