[hk.com]

Originally Posted by discobay

i-Cable's delivery method will result in slow throughput under load as the lines are shared with each building. The smaller the building the better.

"sharing occurs" with all ISPs. i-cables method of sharing the circut capacity differes from other ISPs, and like all other circuit technology it needs managing.

HKBN runs 1Gbit fiibers to buildings, which again are shared. If the capacity needed is not managed again they will get congested.

PCCW, runs DSL circuits to DSLAMS and then run the data on ethernet or ATM circuits or something else. If those circuits are loaded it will give slow throughput also. This is something that does happen very often with PCCW to the point that segments of their DSL network lose connectivity with HKIX.

[discobay]

Originally Posted by CarterTG

This might already be apparent to most in this thread, but for those who might benefit...

If you plan to use your broadband connection for things like webcam videoconferencing, you'll need to pay attention to the UPSTREAM bandwidth provided by the ISP. The figure they commonly tout is the DOWNSTREAM bandwidth.

Several years ago, I helped my father obtain broadband in his newly settled ShamShuiPo flat.

I began with a visit to the Golden Computer Centre in the same district. Late in the afternoons, the ISP vendors roll out of bed and setup their displays outside that building.

The main broadband players around that time were iCable(HKCable), HKBN, and PCCW/Netvigator.

My first choice back then was HKBN as they were advertising 100Mbps broadband at $188hk - an amazing deal compared to what I pay in the States. Provide a physical address for the installation, and the vendor looks up availability in their binder. Failing that, expect them to phone their office for verification. My father's building wasn't on their service-eligibility list, so no deal.

Netvigator utilizes DSL through the existing phoneline -- majority of HK residents should be able to get broadband this way. Sure enough, my flat qualified, but I hesitated since their own pamphlet indicated a 64kbps-128kbps upstream bandwith. Their 24-month contract requirement and 3-5 day delay for installation were also turn-offs.

iCable back then had a $99 deal. They were able to send over their installer same-day and offered a 15-month contract.

As promised, a "si-fu" arrived that evening with a cable modem. It was hooked up to the coax wall jack and we had broadband in no time. The cable modem contained an ethernet port for the computer and a phone jack. With a traditional telephone plugged into that jack, iCable provided free local calls and a limited amount of monthly international calls. A coax splitter placed prior to the cable modem provides standard-def programming for the television.

I forgot what bandwidth figure the iCable vendor was claiming, but it wasn't important -- the final bandwidth delivered by ANY provider will usually depend on a number of factors... age of wiring infrastructure, unseen bottlenecks, etc

The only true test is to have the equipment installed and run a test from sites like www.speedtest.net

For his flat, SpeedTest reported a downstream bandwidth of around 1000kbps-1400kbps. The upstream test clocked in at 700kbps-900kbps. In the states, I'd kill for these numbers considering the $99hk price.

I subsequently helped his siblings & other relatives throughout the US setup broadband with a webcam. Because of the healthy download AND upload speeds, both parties are making free videocalls across the pacific with no discernable lag in audio and full-screen video with a fair amount of fluidity.

I've been back to HK on a regular basis and every time I test his bandwidth in-person the numbers don't deviate much. Time of day has negligible effect.

Around '04-'05, I was tasked to help a relative residing east of the Prince Edward district with a similar broadband/webcam setup. I again shopped around and HKBN wasn't available for that building either, so I went with iCable once more. Testing the bandwidth, I recall the downstream number around 1700kbps and upstream was 1100kbps.

How is the videoconferencing experience through HongKong's asynchronous-DSL? Our family friends live near Castlepeak Rd with DSL broadband. Their low upstream bandwidth results in my receiving choppy video when calling them.

If all you plan to do with broadband is surf websites (mostly download/downstream intensive), any one of the aforementioned providers will offer sufficient downstream bandwidth. Being that this forum has a fair share of "expats", I figure looking for higher upstream bandwidth will benefit connections to friends & family "back home".

Sorry for the length, but hope this provides some insight
CTG

CarterTG, thanks for that - very useful and informative. I have become disappointed with the quality of PCCW's NOW offering and remember CableTV's as being superior in many ways. My internet demands do not require constantly high speeds instead just for short periods. I am sure this is the case for most other users too. I looked at CableTV's offerings on their website recently but was astounded by the prices. I rang and left my number several times but never received a return call. I would move in an instant for the right package. Most importantly my son must have Cartoon Network! I occassionally use MSN Messenger and Skype for video conferencing and with PCCW I agree that the video does get choppy. I am curious as to how this would improve with i-Cable.

[grandcider]

This is a rant about my experience with i-cable. I switched over to them in March because I was sick of NOW TV and only wanted broadband service. The deal seemed great: $129/month for broadband, home telephone line + 100 minutes/month of 007 IDD service. When I said I needed to give 1 month's notice to cancel Netvigator, the lady on the street said the service had to be installed that day and she would refund the first month's service charge.

So I signed up and sure enough the whole thing was installed at my home within hours. Then someone called me from i-Cable to confirm the terms & conditions and said there was in fact no refund for the first month. When I objected, the agent said that the original sales rep would contact me to clarify. She called and said that the refund was a "private gift" that would be deposited to my account in a few days. After more than 6 weeks I haven't received a refund. When I followed up with the rep, she said that she had forgotten and would deposit it soon.

Meanwhile, my homeline has not been ported to i-Cable. After several weeks, I called to inquire about the hold up and they said they had no record of my request. So I completed another form and faxed it back. 4 weeks passed and still no change. When I called, they asked if I had completed the form. When I said I had done it a month ago, they asked me to fax a copy of my PCCW bill. I am still waiting for my number to port and continue paying for the PCCW line.

Now I've received a bill from IDD 007 for the handful of calls I've made through their service. When I called to ask about my 100 free minutes/month, the guy said that I wasn't registered for any i-Cable promotion. He told me to fax some documentation showing that I had signed up for the i-Cable plan. When I suggested that he verify it himself instead of asking me to perform yet another task, he became surly and said that he can't access information from another department. I asked for his name and he hung up on me.

In summary, i-Cable's customer service is LOUSY...and that's when you get someone who actually speaks some English. The thing is that PCCW's practices are also appalling. Once their reps entered my home under the pretense of checking the connection, only to try selling me another NOW package. I complained, got an apology and the next week it happened again. I'm still on the lookout for a half-decent ISP in Hong Kong. I wonder if I can get out of my i-Cable contract on the grounds of their incompetence.

[hk.com]

You get what you pay for.

Just avoid HKBN, PCCW, HGC, NWT, i-Cable and you will be fine.