M1’s 33‑Hour Fiber Fiasco: A Blackout Diary
Picture this: the sun rises on Tuesday morning, coffee is brewing, your laptop is humming—but the internet, that silent helper, has decided to take a nap for over a day. Even Dutch coffee flats couldn’t fix it: the outage dragged on for 33 hours.
The Disruption Timeline
- 4:30 am: First complaints pop up on Downdetector—the platform that tracks Internet hiccups.
- 5:00 am: M1 announces it’s on the roll‑call of trouble.
- 9:00 am: Users report no signs of life.
- 2:00 pm: Finally, the network apologizes and says “all good.”
Regulator Reacts
Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) isn’t messing around. In a stern statement, the agency announced an investigation and warned that it will “take strong enforcement action” if M1 flouts its responsibilities.
“IMDA takes a serious view of any service disruption to public telecommunications, especially during the circuit breaker period where many are working and studying from home,” the spokesperson said.
What M1 Said
On its Facebook page the telco promised: “We have rectified a network issue that affected fibre broadband Internet traffic service.” No more details—and when a reporter from The Straits Times poked, the response stayed muzzled.
How Users Copied the Fix
- Turned off the Optical Network Terminal (ONT).
- Flicked the router power switch.
- Some tried a good old reboot while we’re at it.
Even after the “all good” green light, many still tasted the digital dry‑wall of disconnection. Persistence was the key—phones stayed with the Wi‑fi, not on the Luis de Michel de like switch.
Experts Suggest a Backup Plan
Gadget guru and tech wizard Larry Leong (52) advises a “two‑broadband” approach. He explains:
“Buying two 500 Mbps networks is cheaper and more dependable than investing in one 1 Gbps connection.”
Its simple math: doubling the speed gives you built‑in redundancy. If one runs out of steam—just pull the other one in.
Bottom Line for the Citizens
That 33‑hour outage was a wake‑up call to every Singaporean who plugs in. Your work, school, streaming—everything paused. The lesson? Resilience matters. Whether it’s a second ISP, a backup power source, or just a calm online attitude, keep the digital tide flowing.
Psychological problems
Network Break, Minds Bleak: Ang Mo Kio Retiree’s Rough Ride
Meet Tan Lye Han, a 64‑year‑old Ang Mo Kio resident who’s found herself in the middle of a tech maze that’s left her feeling stretched thin.
Her son, Kevin Ong, only 29 but with special needs, has been stuck at home with the dreaded circuit breaker restrictions. The once‑glorious distraction of streaming shows turned out to be a lifeline.
“He usually logs on to keep himself busy with shows and movies,” Tan explains, “and I jump on the internet too, either to read aloud or to teach him spelling. But you won’t believe it—he’s been a nervous wreck for over 24 hours, restless and upset when the Wi‑Fi’s gone.”
Hotline Disasters: A Frustrating Search for Help
It’s not just Tan. Andrew Koh, 38, works in the airline sector, tried to reach M1’s supportive hotline. “I couldn’t get through on the hotline or even on Facebook,” he says. “At least I hit IMDA, but they were simply chasing M1. It felt like a perfect example of corporate spin‑and‑who’s‑on‑the‑other‑side.”
The Big Two: StarHub’s Double Trouble of Last Month
Throwback to the previous month, when two major network glitches hit StarHub subscribers at once. Reports blamed it on a mix of network equipment failure and a DNS hiccup, leaving thousands of users in the dark.
Why It Matters: The Ripple Effect
- Children with special needs like Kevin lose their anchor and become anxious.
- Parents like Tan feel helpless, watching their kids drift.
- Companies feel the strain when global customers panic and seek support.
- Both sides of the telecom game are left scrambling.
Bottom line: When the internet hiccups, it’s not just devices that glitch; it’s people’s minds that get tangled. Stay tuned for more updates, and hopefully, the next time the wires fray, the front lines will be ready to help—no more waiting for the “chasing” meme!
