Eight Telecom discussion thread

kitkat2

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Is that a reasonable expectation when network traffic is routed back to Singapore thence to its final destination?

how the network packets are routed back to Singapore and the route taken also matter.

Have you tested other offers from other Singapore MVNOs and MNOs when roaming in Malaysia to measure ping times to a variety of destinations at the same time(s) of day? How do they compare? And if hypothetically you got 17% lower ping times how would that change your life for the better? Would it be worth the difference in price?

Singtel 17-30ms.

Most people prioritize coverage. They want a “good enough” signal wherever they go. Consequently having 3 network roaming partners in Malaysia is great news. Whether an app download over a mobile network takes 34 or 46 seconds (for example) is much less important. Being able to get a phone call or a WhatsApp message in or out from a parking garage in KL (for example) is more important.

can’t say what other people prioritize. if your usage in Malaysia is mainly making calls, then ping latency isn’t important to you. i don’t make calls, even when back in Singapore. just sharing my findings here (which is lacking) so that others can make informed decisions.
 

bumdssa

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anybody still topping up via shopee? seems like best price now is $8.20 for sellers that voucher can be used?
 

tanchoo1

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Is that a reasonable expectation when network traffic is routed back to Singapore thence to its final destination?

Have you tested other offers from other Singapore MVNOs and MNOs when roaming in Malaysia to measure ping times to a variety of destinations at the same time(s) of day? How do they compare? And if hypothetically you got 17% lower ping times how would that change your life for the better? Would it be worth the difference in price?

Most people prioritize coverage. They want a “good enough” signal wherever they go. Consequently having 3 network roaming partners in Malaysia is great news. Whether an app download over a mobile network takes 34 or 46 seconds (for example) is much less important. Being able to get a phone call or a WhatsApp message in or out from a parking garage in KL (for example) is more important.
Absolutely correct.

I guess there's no pleasing some people. Especially for the princely sum of $8. Compared to Singtel which is definitely more expensive.

100ms is good enough for most people. Unless you're doing high frequency trading (in which case you shouldn't be cheapoing with Eight) or playing online games which require low ping (in which case you should just get gud, noob). 🤣🤣🤣
 

BBCWatcher

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how the network packets are routed back to Singapore and the route taken also matter.
Yes, of course.
Singtel 17-30ms.
While roaming in Malaysia? On which carrier(s)? At the same time, from the same device (or at least device make/model), in the same location? Also on 4G or 5G (as the case may be)? Does a Singtel SIM/eSIM (while roaming in Malaysia) route back to Singapore, or does it exit onto the public Internet within Malaysia? To which end destination address(es)?
can’t say what other people prioritize.
Yes, we really can say that. We really do know that most people don't care about or need 70 ms less ping time (for example) while roaming in Malaysia. We can be quite sure that difference (if it exists) is not something most people prioritize at all.
if your usage in Malaysia is mainly making calls, then ping latency isn’t important to you. i don’t make calls, even when back in Singapore. just sharing my findings here (which is lacking) so that others can make informed decisions.
No, you're oversimplifying. Nobody rational cares about a purported ~70 ms ping time reduction when doing all sorts of things with their mobile phones: getting directions on Google Maps, sending/receiving WhatsApp messages, downloading new apps, sending and receiving e-mail, etc.
I guess there's no pleasing some people. Especially for the princely sum of $8. Compared to Singtel which is definitely more expensive.
I wonder what the minimum cost is for a Singtel MNO SIM/eSIM that includes roaming in Malaysia. I'm quite sure it's more than $8 per 30 days. And would it even offer a choice of 3 roaming networks in Malaysia with the attendant redundancy and coverage benefits?
100ms is good enough for most people. Unless you're doing high frequency trading (in which case you shouldn't be cheapoing with Eight)...
You shouldn't be attempting high frequency trading over any wireless connection. Or from Malaysia at all if you can avoid it unless the exchange happens to be Bursa Malaysia.
or playing online games which require low ping (in which case you should just get gud, noob). 🤣🤣🤣
We should also point out that Singapore-based carriers have very little control or influence over roaming network performance. There are a few aspects they control, but most performance-related factors are up to the roaming networks. But (to repeat) Eight now has 3 roaming network partners in Malaysia. That's pretty impressive all by itself, especially for $8 per 30 days (or less with a promo).
 
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mosmos

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Is that a reasonable expectation when network traffic is routed back to Singapore thence to its final destination?

Have you tested other offers from other Singapore MVNOs and MNOs when roaming in Malaysia to measure ping times to a variety of destinations at the same time(s) of day? How do they compare? And if hypothetically you got 17% lower ping times how would that change your life for the better? Would it be worth the difference in price?

Most people prioritize coverage. They want a “good enough” signal wherever they go. Consequently having 3 network roaming partners in Malaysia is great news. Whether an app download over a mobile network takes 34 or 46 seconds (for example) is much less important. Being able to get a phone call or a WhatsApp message in or out from a parking garage in KL (for example) is more important.
I go overseas never visit or stay in parking garages, even to JB
 

BBCWatcher

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I go overseas never visit or stay in parking garages, even to JB
OK, but that's only an example. The interiors (especially lower levels) of shopping malls, underground public transit stations, and office buildings — as some other examples — are often among the more challenging locations for cellular networks to reach.

Malaysia currently only has one physical 5G network (built and operated by wholesaler DNB), so on 5G you're probably not going to see any differences among roaming partners. That's quite unlike Singapore which has 3 physical 5G networks: Singtel, the StarHub/M1 consortium (they joined forces to build a single 5G network), and SIMBA. (Eight does not offer 5G service in Singapore; in Singapore Eight uses StarHub's 4G network.) But when you're on 4G in Malaysia there can be coverage differences. There are 5 MNOs on 4G in Malaysia. Eight now has 3 roaming partners in Malaysia, and they happen to be the top 3 in terms of subscribers (in this order): CelcomDigi, Maxis, and U Mobile. (The other 2, Yes and Unifi Mobile, are much smaller. Unifi actually leans on Maxis to fill in its many gaps.) All 3 of Eight's roaming partners have licensed spectrum in the "low" 900 MHz band (Band 8). "Low" bands are the "coverage bands": they provide the best chance of getting any useful signal.

Some MNOs/MNVOs list "Celcom" and "Digi" as separate roaming partners in Malaysia. However, Celcom and Digi merged in 2022. They still "advertise" multiple mobile network names, but it's one company now.
 

seowbin

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Eight is at 8 bucks a month can give it some handicap points.

100+Ms is like Simba standard. Go figure.

Singtel and it's mvno like cmlink is 10+ to 30ms. Period.

If use it for work like rdp into system, probably will prefer singtel and it's mvno. Other than that, I use eight for YouTube while driving. That's fine for most use case.
 

ECyClone

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Wondering if anyone can advise if the Eight Service Center can assist with unsuccessful port-in. Apparently, my auntie did not realise her port-in was unsuccessful after one month. I checked her account and saw in the failure message was due to wrong ID. The old telco SIM was registered under my uncle's name.

The instructions was to write in but it will be kind of waiting game. So wondering if a trip down to the Service Center will help resolve the issue faster.
 

sibeiTrolled

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The instructions was to write in but it will be kind of waiting game. So wondering if a trip down to the Service Center will help resolve the issue faster.
Eight dosen't do ownership change.
So for your case, you might have to bring your auntie and uncle down to the service. This is my reasoning
1) To prove that the temporary number belongs to her.
2) To have your uncle trigger the port in on their system, i think they will make you do it online when you are there.

I might be wrong on these stuff, but i would suggest you check with them first
You could,
- Write in email to verify if this can be done physically and if it can be done, what is required?
Or
- head down there first, ask, then bring the required items or people down to do the re-registration

Alternative suggestion.
- Cancel the port in
- Do the change of ownership at the current telco
- Have your auntie do the port in again
 

tanchoo1

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Eight dosen't do ownership change.
So for your case, you might have to bring your auntie and uncle down to the service. This is my reasoning
1) To prove that the temporary number belongs to her.
2) To have your uncle trigger the port in on their system, i think they will make you do it online when you are there.

I might be wrong on these stuff, but i would suggest you check with them first
You could,
- Write in email to verify if this can be done physically and if it can be done, what is required?
Or
- head down there first, ask, then bring the required items or people down to do the re-registration

Alternative suggestion.
- Cancel the port in
- Do the change of ownership at the current telco
- Have your auntie do the port in again
This is correct. You have to do change of ownership at the existing Telco to the auntie's name, THEN port in to Eight also in the auntie's name.

Eight doesn't entertain any change of ownership requests. Period.
 

ECyClone

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Eight dosen't do ownership change.
So for your case, you might have to bring your auntie and uncle down to the service. This is my reasoning
1) To prove that the temporary number belongs to her.
2) To have your uncle trigger the port in on their system, i think they will make you do it online when you are there.

I might be wrong on these stuff, but i would suggest you check with them first
You could,
- Write in email to verify if this can be done physically and if it can be done, what is required?
Or
- head down there first, ask, then bring the required items or people down to do the re-registration

Alternative suggestion.
- Cancel the port in
- Do the change of ownership at the current telco
- Have your auntie do the port in again
No no... There's no intent to do ownership change. Just that the user (my auntie) wanted to port out due to the cheap price and port-in offer of the 2 free months. So happily got the son-in-law to do online. He did not ask who is the owner, so just happily help to do online. If cancel the port-in would be simple, but she is going to loose the $. It's difficult to explain this part to elderly. So if can be done at Service Center will be most ideal.
 
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ECyClone

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This is correct. You have to do change of ownership at the existing Telco to the auntie's name, THEN port in to Eight also in the auntie's name.

Eight doesn't entertain any change of ownership requests. Period.
There's no intent to do ownership change to begin with. Just something that was not remembered when the port-in was done online.
 

sibeiTrolled

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If cancel the port-in would be simple, but she is going to loose the $. It's difficult to explain this part to elderly. So if can be done at Service Center will be most ideal.
Either way, already sunk cost, since right now they are paying eight as well as the existing telco.

Since it is a must to change, then probably just do these steps that i mentioned previously?
I might be wrong on these stuff, but i would suggest you check with them first
You could,
- Write in email to verify if this can be done physically and if it can be done, what is required?
Or
- head down there first, ask, then bring the required items or people down to do the re-registration
Either way, verification against existing owner of the eight account which is the temp number (your auntie) as well as the verification against the current number owner (your uncle) may be required.
 
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ECyClone

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Either way, already sunk cost, since right now they are paying eight as well as the existing telco.

Since it is a must to change, then probably just do these steps that i mentioned previously?

Either way, verification against existing owner of the eight account which is the temp number (your auntie) as well as the verification against the current number owner (your uncle) may be required.
Yes. The problem with such MVNO is that when you need help very difficult and/or takes a longer time. Just trying to see if asking them to visit a service center will be faster to resolve. If it will then will propose to them, else just keep quiet and wait for the son-in-law to help "resolve" in due time.
 

sibeiTrolled

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The problem with such MVNO is that when you need help very difficult and/or takes a longer time
At the very least, some MVNO like Eight,SIMBA and ZYM have a service center or something like a service center unlike the sub brands of certain telcos that starts with G and has 4 letters.

If it will then will propose to them, else just keep quiet
Ya, but before you propose to them, head down to check first ba.
Later bring them out then cannot, you GG

wait for the son-in-law to help "resolve" in due time
If one month passed without the SIL casually asking or checking,
"eh, that time i help you port in to eight ah, how ah, can work or not"
I doubt it will happen at all :rolleyes:


Eventually, it's up to you to decide how much "care" you want to give to this situation.
Good luck. (y)
 

ECyClone

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At the very least, some MVNO like Eight,SIMBA and ZYM have a service center or something like a service center unlike the sub brands of certain telcos that starts with G and has 4 letters.


Ya, but before you propose to them, head down to check first ba.
Later bring them out then cannot, you GG


If one month passed without the SIL casually asking or checking,
"eh, that time i help you port in to eight ah, how ah, can work or not"
I doubt it will happen at all :rolleyes:


Eventually, it's up to you to decide how much "care" you want to give to this situation.
Good luck. (y)
Haha... Cos no complain say not working mah... Just paying 2 lines only. I think they might not have gotten the bill from the telco yet or never realise still being charged (no see adjustments).

Maybe got ask leh... The new sim card come liao bo?
 

jiaklormee

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In MY now. Confirm that roaming data experience is much improved with the new roaming partner Celcom. At least now I have stable 4g connection from JB all the way to Melaka.

Last weekend I was in JB and data on maxis and U mobile was very unstable.
 
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