TO TUNE in to SingTel's mio TV, most users just hook up a broadband modem and a set-top box to a phone jack.

Internet data and TV channels are delivered over the same phone line.

But some private home owners either have old phone lines or live far from the telephone exchange.

SingTel has to wire these homes individually with new cables that can carry the data. Charges depend on the work needed to hook up each home.

A similar situation emerged when StarHub rolled out its cable TV service more than a decade ago. Back then, it hooked up HDB flats but asked many private home owners to pay for a connection.

This is common in many countries, where the most densely populated areas are usually covered first. The authorities usually do not require pay-TV coverage to be nationwide, unlike a telephone service which is considered vital.

ALFRED SIEW