If you have been following the developments in the online space, the new comer Starhub’s eight has broken a lot of speed test records. In fact, the first test I ran achieved a high of 190 Mbps at Tiong Barhu is quite a pleasant surprise.
Screenshot is for illustrating B38 is available, if CA configuration it will show as B3 and LTE+ eight
Further test runs have been done over the week and we discovered that eight actually ran in various modes to boost the speed. The basic mode is a B3 + B38 (2 CA) or B3 + B7 + B38, (3 CA). It uses the TDD Band 38 to boost the download speeds but that also affected the upload speeds. In many cases, the upload speed range around 1/10 of the download speed e.g. 1 to 10 Mbps. Such speed will affect a small group of users that needs to upload picture or videos while on the move.
With this combination, areas with weak signal (1 to 2 bar) will also get a boost in speed to 50 to 60 Mbps. When more users come on board, speeds will definitely decline. Will eight still offer such high speed after the trial or will they change it to a commonly used band.
If you are a Giga or Starhub user, you will probably notice the speed boost lately. With competition intensified, I am sure other telcos will also start to think of way to boost their speeds to capture the market.