10Gbps broadband: 3 reasons to switch today

Living in Singapore? 10Gbps broadband plans are cheaper than ever. Here are some reasons to upgrade.

Earlier this year, Singapore announced a SG$100M upgrade of its broadband network to 10Gbps.

• From my understanding, this includes a grant to help telcos upgrade their equipment, boost sign-ups.
• Singtel, StarHub and ViewQwest have since announced 10Gbps offerings at lower price points than before.

Should you upgrade? Here are 3 possible reasons.

Higher baseline load

I'll be honest, I was dismissive of the need for 10Gbps when I spoke with ViewQwest's CEO, Vignesa Moorthy, two weeks ago. Even though I'm on 10Gbps (as well as a second 1Gbps line) - "Who needs that much bandwidth?"

But Vignesa pointed out that we are using the Internet more these days. Home cameras, IoT devices, and multiple smartphones and other devices are all hooked up. And this baseline is constantly rising and could soon exceed 100Mbps (0.1Gbps).

That new 10-lane expressway might seem a waste in the dead of the night but is a godsend during peak hours. With surging digital use, expect peak hour to happen far more often in the future.

Fast when it matters

While we can mostly do without 10Gbps, what of those instances where the extra bandwidth can result in a different outcome?

• Buttery smooth video on that vital client call.
• Uploading that huge file for a time-sensitive gig.
• Zero disruption when the kids fire up their streaming.

It is worth noting that 10Gbps was available almost a decade ago. However, high cost meant that take-up was low. This is no longer the case with the new offerings.

• GPON (2010): 2.5G (Download), 1.25G (Upload)
• XG-PON (2015): 10G (Download), 2.5G (Upload)
• XGS-PON (2023): 10G (Download), 10G (Upload)

Relevance of international bandwidth

One refrain against a faster broadband plan is how international bandwidth isn't guaranteed. Why bother when speed is constrained by bandwidth to US or EU sites?

While true, a lot has changed over the last decade.

• Media is now cached at regional, even telco level.
• CDNs for websites are now widely deployed.
• Singapore is a top data centre hub.

So yes, with those CDNs in Singapore and all major public cloud players running from data centres here, there is far less need for international bandwidth.

Setting it up

For maximum benefit from the faster broadband, I previously outlined steps to make.

a) Upgrade system.
b) Review Wi-Fi*.
c) Overhaul network.

*Likely the top concern for most consumers.

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