I REFER to the report, "S'pore broadband limps along (my paper, Sept 7).

I was surprised to read that Singapore's broadband speeds would increase with the installation of fibre-optic cables.

The cables used now are fully capable of supporting highspeed Internet connections of up to 100Mbps with StarHub's MaxOnline Ultimate Plus plans.

Singapore's slow Internet speeds lie not with the infrastructure, but partly with Internet service providers' (ISPs) reluctance to price their plans lower.

Another reason is the unwillingness of most to pay exorbitant prices for so-called "high-speed" broadband connections that crawl along and can be unreliable at times.

These high prices mean that only a very small number of people are willing to pay over $100 a month for faster connections.

Ultimately, most end up opting for slower connections at a cheaper price.

It was also reported in the article that Singapore was ranked a poor 51st with regard to upload speeds.

The low upload speeds are not because of problems with the cables, but with ISPs that limit users' upload speeds to prevent efficient uploading for some people who seed torrents.

If anyone is responsible for our slow broadband speeds, it is not the Government but the ISPs.

I hope ISPs would be able to offer better value for money with cheaper and faster broadband connection plans.

Mr Oscar Lee Min Xing

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