MyRepublic customers air concerns over broadband speed after sale to StarHub

SINGAPORE – Some MyRepublic customers have voiced concerns over a possible change in service quality following

the complete takeover of its broadband business

by StarHub.

Since its launch in 2011, MyRepublic has cosied up to users by promising no throttling or the imposition of speed limits on international downloads. Without network throttling, users experience little lag in surfing, gaming and video streaming.

Now, loyal customers are worried that the days of no throttling will be numbered under StarHub.

StarHub, which had already held a 50.1 per cent stake in MyRepublic Broadband since 2022, acquired the remaining 49.9 per cent share on Aug 12.

“I hope the acquisition does not change the current set-up of no throttling, or cause a price increase,” said 33-year-old Chia Ying Ying, who works as a manager in a university.

She switched from StarHub to MyRepublic in late 2024.

“I will not hesitate to switch to other providers if MyRepublic is no longer appealing to me,” said Ms Chia, who is currently paying $57 a month for a 3Gbps MyRepublic plan.

An avid gamer, Mr Phua K., 35, said he chose to buy from MyRepublic largely due to its no-throttling feature, which reduces surfing lag, and value-for-money packages.

“I’m currently very satisfied as a MyRepublic customer,” said the IT engineer, who is unsure if he will feel the same way going forward.

StarHub acknowledges that it implements network management during peak usage hours to ensure fair and consistent access for all users on its network. According to its website, “StarHub employs network management to ensure no protocols, applications, and users should dominate the finite network resources”.

It is unclear if StarHub will manage MyRepublic’s network in similar ways, deviating from the “no-throttling” promise, after it takes full ownership.

The takeover of MyRepublic’s broadband business comes a day after

Simba Telecom announced its takeover of M1’s telco business

.

Ms Ng Xuan Fei, who works in an office that uses MyRepublic’s network, expressed worry that the reduction of competition in the telco industry might be bad news for consumers.

“This can potentially allow dominant companies to charge higher prices, and may result in complacency,” said the 22-year-old human resources assistant.

Gartner’s vice-president analyst Peter Liu said that consolidation could lessen the pressure to lower prices.

“With fewer independent players, the aggressive price competition that characterised MyRepublic’s market entry may subside,” said Mr Liu, referring to the intense competition in 2012.

That followed the roll-out of a Singapore Government-backed Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN) islandwide in 2010. The NGNBN allows broadband connectivity to be available at fixed wholesale prices, and attracted start-ups like MyRepublic and ViewQwest to offer affordable broadband plans to home users.

However, Mr Liu is confident that when prices stabilise, service providers will likely differentiate themselves on service quality, bundling benefits and customer experience.

Other analysts said that the acquisition will better position StarHub to compete with market leader Singtel.

“StarHub’s acquisition of MyRepublic’s broadband business is most strategic. It makes the company a key market player on a par with the current leader, Singtel,” said Professor Lawrence Loh of NUS Business School’s department of strategy and policy.

Associate Professor Koh Sze Kee of the Singapore Institute of Technology said that a stronger StarHub could lead to more competitive prices and innovative services.

For instance, StarHub could bundle different services across the two brands to meet various consumer needs, bringing together offerings in broadband, mobile, streaming and smart home and office solutions.

Since 2022, StarHub has been including MyRepublic’s subscribers in its financial reports. Combined, both operators had 578,000 fixed broadband subscribers as at December 2024.

Prof Loh added that customers of MyRepublic might also stand to benefit from StarHub’s strength in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security and internet of things services.