Wireless @ SG Revamp!

Date:  Dec 4, 2011

Wow!

I just got a few comments on this:

1.  I thought the Download/Upload speed of the Wireless@SG is 512Kbps or below?  Because I can never get a speedtest that is more than half of that bandwidth.  Whenever I use Wireless@SG, the speed most of the time is SLOWER than 3G.  Given that 3G is already very congested and slow.

2.  But the most importantly, Wireless@SG does not work in most of the shopping mall.  The only place that I have consistent good coverage so far is @ KFC at Suntec Tower One basement.  There, I have my daily breakfast and read news without problem.  But whenever you go to other malls, I was forced to turned off my WiFi because it automatically log on to the Wireless@SG but most of the time, it does not work!

3.  So, If today, the 3G network is giving you up to 7.2Mbps, I don't see what is the reason that Wireless@SG wanted to capped at 1Mbps per laptop, per smartphone.  This is not right!

4.  Most of the time, people use it on smartphones nowadays.  So, every smartphones or iPad most likely have a 3G sim chip.  So, what is the problem of using the 3G Sim as authentication?  Don't asked me to key in my username and password all the time!

5.  I believe a lot of our money (Taxpayer money) has been thrown into this crappy Wireless@SG.  But there is no QoS (Quality of Service) at all.  So, if these operators is asking for extra funding for any upgrades, please put in QoS clauses to make sure that they do the job right!

6.  So, please, do not only see the problem one dimension.  Don't just fix the easy authentication and forgot to fix the backhaul bandwidth.  100Mbps is sold today below S$40.  So, I don't see a reason why these Wifi hotspot are not getting 100Mbps backhaul speed to the Internet, and why can't the hotspot open up full WiFi bandwidth for us to use it.

Sorry Sorry... Everytime I talk about Wireless, I always easy to get agitated.  Do you have this experience, where, you walk into a Wireless@SG, and your smart phones start switching to Wireless@SG and because Wireless@SG is not working at that time in that area, you did not get important WhatsApp message or emails, etc.  Until you realize it, you quickly have to turn off the WiFi and use the 3G, a at least not so crappy network connectivity.  Then, when you get back to home and office, you then have to manually to turn on the the WiFi again.  Ain't that annoying?