Public Wireless Broadband - Malaysia Vs. Singapore
I’m back to Kuala Lumpur, and it feels great!
Surviving one week without proper Internet access was a nightmare, but I did it. The problem started when I got back to my parents house in Kluang and realized that the good guys at Streamyx screwed up my broadband connection. Since Tuesday was a public holiday in Malaysia, I had to wait till Saturday (today) to get it up and running again.
I guess that’s quite good for TMNet’s impeccable standards…
But here’s the funny thing: I had a much more difficult time finding free public broadband in Singapore. Ok, forget about Kluang. It’s a small town with no Starbucks or Coffee Bean, therefore no free broadband.
But here I am at the intersection of Robinson Road and Maxwell Road, where there’s Subway, Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Secret Recipe, and Gloria Jeans.
Ok, I went to Subway first for lunch. I asked if they had wireless Internet. The answer was “No”. I wasn’t expecting much from Subway anyway.
Then I went to Starbucks, the most likely place to leech on some free broadband. Guess what? They only have Starhub Wireless, for paid customers only.
Next I hit Coffee Bean, and guess what? SingNet paid customers only. Same thing everywhere else, and I gave up.In the end I had to wait to get back to JB, and when I did I totally immersed myself in the FREE broadband at Starbucks….
This is perhaps one reason why I like Malaysia more than Singapore: some things are still free over here 
Just go to any Starbucks (and there are TONS of them in Kuala Lumpur) and you get free broadband. I even get free broadband in some public places in PJ
Final Score: Singapore 0 Malaysia 5
Now if only our Malaysian soccer team can get those results…:)
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bro…get a 3G card if you would… save you heck of a hassle…
3G works best in metoropiltan KL, JB etc. I had considered it but my iBook has no slot for an external card
Plus I need to pay for the subscription charges every month. When I’m in KL i rarely need this..
most macs outlets have, wun say all cos i’m not sure..u need to register once u connect with skynetglobal, but yea just put any email address
Pacific Coffee also has also lah.. worse comes to worst..just look for unprotected networks to tompang on lah..heh
Pacific Coffee huh…hmmm
Definitely McDonald’s. That’s how I search for free Internet when I’m around town. Plop yourself down in or near an outlet. If you feel guilty enough, you might want to try their 50cent ice cream cones. *slurp*
Go wardriving!! Hehe- see if you leech off some unsecured networks…
It’s probably free in Malaysia largely because you know where to find it. I had problems finding free internet access in San Francisco, and I’m pretty sure they do have free access. Somewhere.
community wireless,sadly, is an unSingaporean concept. Bah.
Guys, but really…where am I ‘confirmed’ to get free wireless? McDonalds? Are they packaging that with their Value Meals or Happy Meal? Hehe..
Go to Brewerkz at Riverside Point at Clarke Quay. For some cheap beer, go before 3pm, it’s 4 bucks for a pint, and you can surf all you want for free…They wont bother you.
It’s my first time using broadband wireless and in my area (Dover), I could use the public network designated Dover with pretty ok transfer rates. I don’t know who provides this network, though.
[…] My post on broadband in Malaysia and Singapore got over 10 comments because a bunch of Singaporean guys who found my blog via Technorati could not stand the fact that Malaysia got one step ahead of Singapore […]
Hey Gobala… you were just 5 minutes away from my office! Next time, drop by my office - coffee for free. haa..
Hey Gobala, all macdonald’s have free wireless broadband.
unless the router is messed up, then you can abuse the macdonald’s auntie….
what kinda hamburger place is this?
no #@*#*@)) internet!
ha ha ha.
Andrew Wee
http://www.WhoIsAndrewWee.com
Singapore Sucks!!
Nothing free there… they want to take all your money…..
Yeah , make Malaysia better then SG ..Malaysian !
Bro,
I have setup a free wifi network to cover my neighbourhood area and slowly will be extended to other area. If you happen to be here Bukit Rahman Putra, please enjoy our service.
Thank you
Lamak
where would malaysia be if there’s no singapore to bash
, vice-versa
let’s love country-bashing! cause we know sg loves malaysia and vice versa !!
Like a malay saying “Hujan Emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri, lebih baik negeri sendiri”. 5-0 on Malaysia. Cheers.
I strongly agree with you. In Singapore, no money no talk. That’s why I always say, KL’s the best. I am working in Singapore. Sometimes during lunch hour or waiting for my clients in the coffee house (you know, Singaporean time is even later than Malaysian time. No traffic, but always some excuses to be late), I search for free wifi points with my Sony Ericsson Smartphone P990i. But it end up with wifi network that I have to pay if I use it.
It happened that when I went back to KL and had a teatime with a friend in Pavilion, I scaned for the wifi network while he went to the restroom. I was shocked while I found there was many free wifi points from the coffee houses and restaurants around.
Anyway, I have got used to it. See, none of the shopping complex in Singapore so far can compare with KL Pavilion.