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SINGAPORE - All major internet service providers (ISPs) in Singapore have accelerated plans to upgrade their networks to offer 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) fixed broadband services to at least half a million homes by 2028. This comes after the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to defray the cost of system upgrades to support an expected surge in internet-linked home appliances and data-intensive apps, like telemedicine and artificial intelligence ones, in the next few years. The ISPs are Singtel, StarHub, M1, ViewQwest and MyRepublic – all of which said they have applied for the grant, which would allow them to offer 10Gbps services at more competitive prices. The latest to roll out 10Gbps broadband plans targeting home users is ViewQwest. Available since July 15, its new 10Gbps home broadband plan costs $44.98 per month – the lowest in Singapore today – during its 10-month promotional window. After that, the price will rise to $68.98 for the remainder of the two-year contract. A spokeswoman for IMDA said: “Consumers can expect more competitive, higher-speed service offers with new home networking equipment like routers.” “No new wiring or fibre installation is required for existing fibre broadband users,” she added, noting that IMDA is currently reviewing ISPs’ applications. Broadband plans with surfing speeds of up to 1Gbps are the current standard in most households here, due to the nationwide roll-out of the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN) in 2010 with a $750 million government grant. The upgrade to 10Gbps marks the next step for NGNBN under a national blueprint – dubbed Digital Connectivity Blueprint – announced in 2023 to help Singapore chart new growth opportunities. Just as the NGNBN paved the way to support digitalisation when Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were imposed in 2020 and 2021, the upgrades aim to prepare Singapore’s key infrastructure for future needs. At least half a million households are expected to sign up to plans of up to 10Gps by 2028, said IMDA in an earlier statement. While 10Gbps plans are not new in Singapore, they had limited appeal, and only to businesses and tech enthusiasts who were willing to pay more for specialised uses, including industrial virtual reality applications and online gaming. To get the speed and bandwidth boost, back-end hardware upgrades are needed. Consumers also need to use new modems and Wi-Fi 7 routers to benefit from the new 10Gbps network. Such equipment typically comes with broadband service bundles, which will be more affordable going forward due to the government subsidy. For instance, ViewQwest’s earlier 10Gbps plan, based on business-grade metro Ethernet technology, goes for $288 a month, compared with $44.98 a month for the new plan. Users also had to buy their own router, which can cost upwards of $599. Currently, StarHub has a 10Gbps home broadband plan that costs $69.95 a month, while the monthly price of Singtel’s 10Gbps plan was slashed from $139 to $66. MyRepublic’s base 10Gbps plan starts at $59.99 a month on a two-year subscription. Taking advantage of the government grant, ViewQwest said it has upgraded its entire network to a new 10G symmetric passive optimal network techonology, which can support more intensive activities like streaming ultra-high resolution videos and virtual reality content. “The new Singapore network will expand the existing bottleneck of home broadband services, like going from a two-way street to a 10-lane highway, reducing data congestion during peak periods, resulting in higher speeds,” said Mr Vignesa Moorthy, chief executive officer of ViewQwest. The ISP has also phased out all 1Gbps plans, making 3Gbps its most basic plan, starting at $20.98 a month. M1 said that it is participating in the Government’s grant programme and that it is on track to launch its 10Gbps plan. Said a StarHub spokeman: “The transition to 10Gbps is under way, and at StarHub, we are actively adapting our approach to align with market demands. We’ll provide updates as we advance with the upgrades.” MyRepublic, too, has applied for the government grant, and said it has begun upgrading its equipment. Its spokesman said: “MyRepublic has already rolled out our 10Gbps plans since August last year and we are lining up more exciting offers that we hope will excite the market in due course.”