For many of us who work from home and learn from home, slow network connections are the bane of our existence. The laggy video calls, incomprehensible droning, and the constant “can you repeat what you said?” left us all crying on the inside.
And it is that time of the year again where Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) has sent most of us back to our homes, facing a virtual rendition of our normal lives.
But do you feel that there’s a difference this time?
No, it’s not that bubble tea shops are open or that you’re feeling even more depressed.
It’s that there are fewer network disruptions this time! Hooray!
Telcos Boost Network Connectivity; Far Better Than Last Year’s CB
According to TODAYonline, two telco providers—M1 and Starhub—have boosted network connectivity such that it could handle the 10 to 12% jump in internet traffic as residents stay home due to tighter COVID-19 regulations.
Internet users have also noted that there are far fewer disruptions as compared to last year’s Circuit Breaker (CB), despite occasional issues.
Some teachers observed that online classes went on much smoother this year, without severe lags and issues of students being unable to log in. Cue them sighing in relief.
In addition, any network disruptions were solved much quicker this time around. An M1 user, who had experienced problems with his internet, contacted the telco for help and was replied to quickly on Facebook.
“[I]t worked again after one hour, so it was not too bad,” he said.
A Starhub user also reported trouble accessing the internet for his work, but by evening, the problem was fixed. Comparing it to last year’s outage during CB, he noted that the latter was much worse.
Telcos Working With MCI & IMDA
M1 stated that its network capacity expansion was completed last year and that its engineers will “remain vigilant and monitor the network capacity closely to maintain high availability during periods of heavy usage”.
Starhub also highlighted that they are “well-prepared for surges in traffic volume and are constantly monitoring network performance with the readiness to roll out enhancements where necessary.”
This comes after Minister for Communication and Information, Mr S Iswaran, announced that the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will work with telecommunications operators to increase the buffer of their network capacity.
Earlier this month, Mr Iswaran noted that telecom operators had seen a surge in network traffic due to telecommuting and HBL during last year’s CB, and the experience “underscored the importance of investing to build up a robust and resilient infocomm infrastructure.”
He reassured that his ministry and IMDA would continue to ensure that Singapore’s telecom infrastructure keeps pace with the demand and meets the needs of residents, especially as digitalisation accelerates in our economy and society.
If your house internet is still slow, something might be interfering with your wifi. Watch this video to the end and thank us later:
Featured Image: Tang Yan Song / Shutterstock.com
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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