After I move to my own place, I was looking for a good broadband that comes at a good price. There are a few options that I was looking at: TM's UniFi VIP 5 Package, Maxis Fibre Internet 10, P1 For Home RM149 Unlimited, TIME Fibre Unlimited Home Broadband 8Mbps and ABNXcess 5Mbps.
There are a few things that I looked at when I choose the right broadband...
SPEED
Well, I believe with the technology of today, we need a home broadband with a speed of at least 5Mbps. While some people will say that 1Mbps is enough, it's important to take note that the speed shown is the maximum speed that it's capable of. Thus, if you're taking 1Mbps, the chances is that you're on 50% most of the time, which is not enough for streaming for football games (that's what I need).
QUOTA
If there is a quota in the broadband package, I would not take it because I believe that with the downloads and streaming that I'm using, the quota is something I cannot live with. After all, we are talking about home broadband....
STABILITY
I think this is the most difficult part to assess because we will not know about the stability of the broadband until we applied for it (which normally comes with a contract). What I did was simple: go through the forums, read about the reviews and make my own judgement.
PRICE
Last but not least, the price will be a major factor. I made my choice: TIME Fibre Unlimited Home Broadband 8Mbps, which cost me RM129. (additional RM10 for the phone calls, free 2000 minutes to fixed line and mobile network)
Here is a simple comparison that I have done....hopefully, this will help you guys to make up your mind.
TM's UniFi VIP 5
TM's UniFi |
TM UniFi has always been known for being good in their speed. Their stability is considered good among other broadband but it is quite expensive. The 5Mbps speed and unlimited quota makes it a good option. It has the widest coverage area so it's probably the best option that you can get if you're not staying in city center. You can also call to all fixed line for free as well.
P1 For Home Broadband 1Mbps
P1 For Home Broadband |
Well, P1 comes at only 1Mbps but is very cheap. It's only at RM99 and it's with unlimited quota. While it's cheap, the 1Mbps is a turn off and the review of the P1 brand has not been very good. There is no free call.
MAXIS Fibre Internet 10Mbps
MAXIS Fibre Internet |
The Maxis Fibre Internet comes at 10Mbps at RM148. It also has unlimited quota. The speed is an attraction and it's RM1 cheaper than TM's UniFi, but Maxis has not been too consistent. There is free RM30 call for mobile and IDD calls. The only negative that I heard of is about the stability of the broadband.
TIME Fibre Unlimited Home Broadband 8Mbps
TIME Fibre Home Broadband |
The TIME Fibre Unlimited Home Broadband comes at 8Mbps at a very attractive price...RM129, plus RM10, you'll get free calls to fixed line and mobile network (2000 minutes, which I think is sufficient). It also has unlimited quota. The broadband has also been known to be stable. I think in terms of pricing, it's also fair. There is also a booster feature, that enables users to boost the speed to 50Mbps for 30 hours.
ABNxcess Internet 5Mbps + 50 TV Channels
ABNxcess |
The ABNxcess Internet 5Mbps and 50 TV Channels cost only RM69.99 monthly.
It has unlimited data and free installation. The price is attractive, the speed is good...but it's an unknown broadband. No one know how good the broadband is. I am not willing to take a risk on that so it's a no.
In my view, I think the best option is TIME Fibre Unlimited Home Broadband. It's at 8Mbps (which is a very good speed already) and it's cheaper than Maxis and TM. (both of which have the best speed). I could also boost it to 50Mbps for 30 hours. P1 Broadband is cheap but it's not fast and the review on it has not been very good. The ABNxcess is still very unknown. I think for RM139, it's very good.