Both Termination Points Being Used

If you had bought a resale HDB home, there may be a chance your home has both Termination Points being used by multiple ISPs. My sister wanted to sign up with a new Internet Service Provider (ISP) but was told that she needed to request for the release of one port.

One port is her current active service with MyRepublic while the other is with SingTel; which was a service used by the previous home owner. If she wants to sign up with Starhub, she needs to request for the port apparently still active with SingTel to be released. Only then can the port be taken over by Starthub.

TLDR: How To Request for Release of TP port?

What is a Termination Point? 

In Singapore, all residential homes have fibre broadband internet wire run through a TP box. This TP box has 2 ports. Shown in the photo below, the wire is using 1 port, while the other is supposedly “free”.

My sister bought her resale flat 2 years ago. I transferred my MyRepublic internet services into her home. Now that our contract is ending, she wants to sign up with a different internet provider, Starhub. 

The previous owner of her flat was using SingTel. Their services were not properly terminated when they moved out of the flat. Thus, the port was not released and is supposedly “still in use”. 

Here is where it got sticky. 

Options Given by ISPs

At the Starhub retail outlet, my sister was told that to move forward she either has to:
1. Contact the previous owner to have them request for the port release from SingTel, or
2. Pay S$280 to have a new TP box installed in her home for a fresh port for Starhub services

What a merry-go-round! We tried to contact the previous owner, only to find them no longer using the only number we have. 

So I tried calling SingTel tech support to request for this port to be released. I was told the same thing my sister was told by the Starhub retail staff. We need to find the previous owner as she is the rightful service user, and only she can request for the port release. 

How frustrating! 

The SingTel staff then told me alternatively I can try to contact NetLink Trust directly. But get this – there’s a FAQ on their website stating the previous owner needs to put up the request.

This time, I called the Starhub hotline asking for their help. Again, the same thing was said to me, we need to get the previous owner to contact SingTel to request for the port release. 

At this point, I got frustrated and called SingTel once more. This time, I called the sales hotline. I spoke to Ekin, who listened to my frustrations and she would transfer my call to her colleague, Sarah. 

How To Request for Release of TP Port?

As a home owner, you can go to the retail shop of the ISP to request for the release of the port. You need to bring the proof of your home ownership. HDB home ownership proof can be shown through SingPass. 

Finally! A solution to this merry-go-round mess! Sarah told me since we cannot reach the previous owner, my sister – who is now the flat owner, can simply go down to a SingTel retail shop to request for the port release. She needs to bring proof of her home ownership.

If you ever have this TP ports issue involving several ISPs (Internet Service Providers), now you know what can be done! Go down to the originating ISP retail shop and prove that you are the home owner to request for the release of the port. 

I wonder why this information was never made known to me at the first call I made to SingTel tech support hotline.