I recently sold my house, and am staying at an interim place before my new house is ready.

When I approached my telecommunications provider to ask about how I could preserve my existing home broadband contract without being unduly penalised for the interim period during which I would not be able to utilise the subscription, I was greatly disappointed by the options available.

I was told that if I did not wish to pay the monthly subscription for the interim period, I could choose to either pay the early termination fee or relocate the service somewhere else.

These to me were two unviable options.

The early termination fee is close to the subscription amount for the balance of the contract,and it is challenging to find a friend or family member who does not have his own broadband subscription to relocate the service to.

While I fully understand my obligations under the contract, I believe there can be a more equitable approach for a service tied to a physical premise like broadband Internet.

Telcos could learn from the electricity retailers in this regard. They levy an early termination fee whenever a subscriber has to terminate his contract after he moves to a new house, but the termination fee is credited to the subscriber once he resumes his contract in his new accommodation.

Tan Han Wee