Event Coverage

Comex 2013 - Telco, Tablets, GPS & Mobile Accessories Buying Guide

By Team HardwareZone - 5 Sep 2013

Broadband Plans

Comex 2013 Buying Guide

Comex 2013 is currently taking place at Singapore Expo. The show is on from the 5th to the 8th of September, and is open from 12 noon to 9pm. One of Singapore's longest running tech shows, Comex 2013 will feature more than 800 exhibitors and cover over 350,000 square-feet of exhibitions space with products ranging from notebooks and tablets to televisions, automotive accessories and more. As usual, admission is free!

There will be a ton of products at the show, so in this handy buying guide we'll be giving you tips and tricks on what to look for in a great product. Whether you're buying a new broadband plan or a new GPS device, here's what you need to know before you buy your next gadget. But before we begin, here's a video highlight of the top 10 gadgets from the show floor:-

Buying Guide Index

 

 

HardwareZone Comex 2013 Portal

For more on Comex 2013, including maps, brochures and Twitter updates, click on through to our Comex portal.

 

 

Broadband Plan Deals at the Show

Here are some highlighted broadband plan deals at Comex this year.

 
M1 Fibre Broadband 

200Mbps fibre home broadband for just $39/month
OR
300Mbps fibre broadband home bundle for just $49/month

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: $39/month (200Mbps) or $49/month (300Mbps bundle)
  • Comex Promotion: free Mobile Broadband 1GB (7.2Mbps) + Free Home Fixed Voice Service + Free Dual-Band Wireless Router worth $189 + Get $50 off selected handsets + Free 3 months subscription for Internet Security
  • Brochure

Location

M1 - Hall 5, Booth 5721



 MyRepublic PURE HD 150Mbps Fibre Broadband

Up to 150Mbps download and 75Mbps upload speeds with more bandwidth for more users streaming HD video.
 

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: $65/month
  • Comex Promotion: Free for six months + ASUS N15U router + service activation, Norton Internet Security, Home Voice and Teleport subscription until December 2013.
  • Brochure

 

Location

MyRepublic - Hall 5, Booth 5215

StarHub 200Mbps Fibre Home Broadband

Top up an extra $32/month and get a Toshiba Satellite U40t Notebook worth $1479 or top up $40/month and get a Lenovo U430p notebook worth $1599.

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: $49.90/month
  • Comex Promotion: Free 21mbps Mobile broadband (1GB), Wireless AC Dual-band router worth $299, Fibre Termination Point installation, activiation and installation, Home Line.
  • Brochure

Location

StarHub - Hall 6, Booth 6701

 

 
ViewQwest Fibernet 200 Bundle

Be one of the first 100 daily to sign up and get: Free speed boost for 6 months and 3 months Freedom VPN.

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: $65/month
  • Comex Promotion: OneVoice Residential, ViewQwest TV, Freedom VPN (3 months), Free Modem Rental
  • Brochure

 

Location

ViewQwest - Hall 6, Booth 6621

SingTel 200Mbps Fibre Broadband

SingTel's 150mbps fibre plan has been boosted to 200mbps for the same affordable price! 

Top up $80/month and get a Razer Blade 14-inch gaming notebook worth $2599.90

Comex 2013 Offer

  • Comex Price: $49.90/month 
  • Comex Promotion: Free Wireless Modem, Free Mobile Broadband 7.2 Plan (1GB), Free Home Digital Line, Free SingTel installation
  • Brochure

Location

SingTel - Hall 5, Booth 5118

Comex 2013 Broadband Plans Portal

 

 

Broadband Plan Buying Guide

Consumers now have more choice than ever for their internet needs, with a host of new companies like MyRepublic joining the big three Telcos. If you're thinking about signing up for a new plan, tech shows are often the best place to do it as the freebies and extras tend to be better than at other times of the year.

 

BROADBAND TODAY

Broadband plans in Singapore fall into three categories: Cable broadband, ADSL broadband, and Fiber broadband.

Cable broadband delivers high-speed Internet access via coaxial cables and a cable termination point. Plans are available from StarHub, M1, Pacnet, and NTT Communications offering speeds of between 3Mbps to 15Mbps. An advantage of cable broadband is that the quality of your connection is not dependent on your proximity to your ISP (whereas ADSL is). However, unlike ADSL, which runs on a dedicated line, cable connections are shared with others in your HDB or condo block, which can affect your download speeds.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband delivers high-speed Internet access via your existing telephone line. Plans are available from SingTel, M1, and Pacnet offering speeds of between 1.5Mbps to 15Mbps. One disadvantage of ADSL broadband is that your connection is linked to a fixed telephone line, so switching residence can be troublesome and will result in loss of service for a few days. On the other hand, unlike cable broadband, your ADSL connection is not affected by other users in your area.

 

Fiber broadband uses fiber optic cables to deliver Internet speeds far higher than both Cable and ADSL broadband. Plans are available from SingTel, StarHub, M1, MyRepublic, and ViewQwest ranging from 50mbps up to a mind-boggling 1Gbps. Fiber optic broadband requires a fiber optic termination point to be installed by network infrastructure provider, OpenNet.

 

 

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Can I get Fiber broadband? Starting in 2010, network infrastructure providers OpenNet offered a one-time free installation of the fibre network termination point to all residences in Singapore. If you missed this offer, you'll need to book an appointment to have the TP installed, which will cost between $220-$450, although some ISPs offer to pay the installation charge for you if you sign up with them. As of 2013, over 95% of Singapore is fiber-ready. To check if your area is eligible for installation click here

What router do I need for ADSL/Cable/Fiber? Any network router (wired or wireless) should be compatible with the modem your service provider gives you. However, it's a lot more tricky if you want to replace the modem that your service provider gives you. Not sure how to choose a router? Check out our networking buying guide.

What is International bandwidth/download speed? Some plans advertise different speeds for local and international downloads. Your local download speed will be applicable for sites hosted in Singapore (e.g. SingTel, locally hosted gaming servers), whereas international sites such a server in the US will subject to the international download speeds. 

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