Fibre broadband sends your internet through glass strands as pulses of light, which is why Singapore can sell 10Gbps for under S$30 a month while most of the world still pays more for a tenth of that. Almost every home here already has a fibre point installed by NetLink Trust, so the choice is rarely about the technology and almost always about price, contract length and a handful of one-time fees that quietly add S$60 to S$240 to your first bill. This guide explains the types of broadband you can actually get in 2026, why fibre wins, and how to read a plan so you pay the headline rate and nothing more.
Broadband just means an always-on internet connection fast enough to do more than one thing at once. Fibre broadband carries that connection over optical fibre cables, where data travels as light rather than as the electrical signals used by older copper lines. Light loses almost nothing over distance, so a fibre line delivers the same speed whether you sit next to the exchange or several kilometres away.
Singapore's fibre runs on a shared national network. NetLink Trust owns the physical fibre into your flat, the operators (Singtel, StarHub, M1 and the rest) rent capacity on it, and you pay one of them for the plan. That is why a S$27 ViewQwest plan and a S$40 Singtel plan can run over the identical cable into the identical wall socket. You are paying for the retailer's price, router and support, not for better glass.
Because the network is shared, switching providers is mostly a paperwork exercise rather than a rewiring job. If you want to see how a broadband bill stacks up against your other monthly commitments, run the numbers through the personal budget calculator before you commit to a two-year contract.
You will still see older broadband types named in guides and overseas plans. Here is how they compare for a Singapore home in 2026.
Fibre is the only one of these you can actually buy as a home plan today. The rest are either retired or only sensible as a personal or backup connection, which is why the real decision is between fibre retailers, not between technologies.
| Type | How it works | Typical speed | Where it fits in Singapore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre | Light through optical glass | 500 Mbps to 10 Gbps | The default. Available in virtually every home and the only type sold as a home plan |
| Cable | Data over coaxial TV cable | Up to ~1 Gbps | Effectively retired here; StarHub moved its cable customers onto fibre years ago |
| DSL / ADSL | Data over copper phone line | Up to ~100 Mbps | Gone. Singapore switched off legacy copper broadband in favour of the national fibre network |
| 5G mobile / fixed wireless | Cellular signal to a router or phone | ~340 Mbps average, varies | A backup or single-person option, not a fibre replacement for a household |
5G is the only real alternative left, and it loses on consistency rather than peak speed. Measured 5G in Singapore averages around 340 Mbps and swings with congestion, walls and how many people share the cell. Fibre gives you a fixed pipe that does not care how busy the neighbourhood is. 5G makes sense if you move often, live alone, or want a no-install stopgap, but for a family streaming, gaming and on video calls at once, fibre is cheaper per gigabyte and far steadier. We break the maths down in 5G vs fibre broadband.
The headline story of 2026 is that speed barely affects price anymore. A 10Gbps plan can cost the same as, or less than, a 3Gbps plan from another provider, because operators compete on the monthly rate rather than on the speed tier. Nine retailers now sell home fibre: Singtel, StarHub, M1, MyRepublic, ViewQwest, WhizComms, SIMBA, eight and GOMO.
The figures below are advertised rates as of June 2026 and move with monthly promotions, so treat them as a 'from' guide and confirm on the provider's own page before signing. Note the two market shifts that matter when you compare: SIMBA now owns M1, and StarHub has absorbed MyRepublic's broadband business.
| Provider | Speed | From (monthly) | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ViewQwest | 3 Gbps | S$26.98 | 24 mo | Activation/admin fees waived |
| eight (Flex, bring your own router) | 10 Gbps | S$26.80 | 12 mo | First month S$0.80 |
| WhizComms | 10 Gbps | S$28.99 | 12 mo | No router included |
| SIMBA | 10 Gbps | S$29.99 | 12 mo | Free ONT and home phone line |
| M1 | 10 Gbps | from ~S$26.90 | 24 mo | Discounted from a much higher list price |
| Singtel | 3 Gbps | S$39.90 | 24 mo | Plus upfront fee; WiFi 7 router |
| MyRepublic | 10 Gbps | S$49.99 | No contract | Free home phone line, S$150 router discount |
The monthly price is the part everyone reads. The fees below are the part that surprises people, and they are set by NetLink Trust, so no provider can wave them away on a whim. They appear only in certain situations, and knowing which apply to you is how you avoid an unexpected three-figure charge.
Work from your situation backwards rather than from the speed tier forwards.
A bundled WiFi 7 router is convenient but often pushes up the monthly price or comes as a paid upgrade. If you already own a capable router, a bring-your-own plan is usually cheaper. Gaming-branded plans charge S$10 to S$20 more for low latency that a good router and a wired Ethernet connection can largely match on a standard plan.
Once you have the broadband sorted, the same value mindset applies to the other recurring bills in a Singapore household, from SIM-only mobile plans to utilities. Trimming each one a little is how a budget quietly improves without feeling like sacrifice.
Yes, in practice. NetLink Trust's fibre network reaches essentially every residential address, and most homes already have a fibre termination point installed, so you can usually sign up and activate a plan without any new cabling work.
Fibre carries data as light through glass, which keeps speeds high over distance. Cable runs over coaxial TV lines and DSL over copper phone lines, both slower and now effectively retired in Singapore, where home broadband is sold only over the national fibre network.
Operators all rent the same shared NetLink Trust fibre, so they compete on the monthly price rather than the technology. That competition pushed 10Gbps plans to under S$30 a month, often the same price as a 3Gbps plan, with speed barely affecting the bill.
The main one-time charge is the NLT service activation fee of S$61.04 on any new activation, including a house move. If your home has no fibre point, termination point installation costs S$182.03 for HDB or S$333.54 for landed property. Provider admin or installation fees may also apply.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.