SINGAPORE — Internet services for about 2,000 connections in parts of Bishan and Thomson have been fully restored after a fibre outage disrupted broadband services on Sept. 15, with NetLink Trust completing repair works at 5:40 a.m. on Sept. 16.
NetLink Trust, which owns and operates the passive fibre infrastructure of Singapore’s Nationwide Broadband Network, said the disruption was caused by damage to multiple fibre cables during construction work carried out by a third-party contractor. The contractor was not engaged by NetLink Trust.
Overnight Repairs Bring Services Back
NetLink Trust said its teams worked continuously through the night to repair the damaged infrastructure and progressively restore affected connections.
The repair operation was complicated by water ingress and obstructions at the damage site, which made access to underground cables more difficult. Despite those conditions, restoration was completed at 5:40 a.m. on Wednesday.
The company apologised for the disruption and thanked affected users for their patience.
Customers who continue to experience connectivity problems have been advised to contact their respective Internet service providers for further assistance.
Singtel, StarHub and M1 Customers Were Among Those Affected
Because NetLink Trust operates the underlying fibre infrastructure used by multiple internet service providers, the outage affected customers of different telcos.
Singtel, StarHub and M1 said on Sept. 15 that some of their broadband customers in the affected areas could experience service disruptions and that they were coordinating with NetLink Trust on restoration efforts. Singtel separately said its mobile services were not affected.
Outage reports tracked by Downdetector also rose during the disruption, although those figures represent user reports rather than a direct count of affected subscribers.
What Caused the Fibre Outage?
NetLink Trust’s investigation found that multiple fibre cables were damaged during road-widening works by a third-party contractor.
The company stressed that the contractor was not engaged by NetLink Trust and said it would conduct a thorough review of the incident before deciding on appropriate follow-up action.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of underground telecommunications infrastructure to construction activity, particularly when access to buried cables becomes difficult during emergency repairs.
Another Fibre Incident This Year
The latest disruption follows another major NetLink Trust outage in April 2026, when around 5,000 broadband connections in parts of Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Sengkang and Punggol were affected for roughly 20 hours.
That earlier incident was also linked to damaged fibre cables during construction work. The disruption temporarily affected Singapore’s public-transport bus arrival information system, resulting in inaccurate estimated arrival times.
The September incident was smaller in scale, but it again demonstrates how damage to shared fibre infrastructure can affect customers across multiple internet providers at once.
Connectivity Restored, Investigation Continues
With the latest repair work completed, broadband services in the affected portions of Bishan and Thomson have returned.
The immediate outage has been resolved, but NetLink Trust’s review of the incident is continuing. The company said it will take appropriate follow-up action after completing its investigation.
For the roughly 2,000 affected connections, the overnight repair brought an end to a disruption that began during the previous day’s construction activity—but the incident is likely to renew attention on how underground fibre networks are protected during major infrastructure works.
WWC ONE MEDIA G.A
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