MyRepublic unveils VPN-like service for video streaming

A year after breaking into the fibre broadband scene with promises of un-throttled speeds and no data caps, Singapore-based fibre broadband start-up MyRepublic has unveiled a new service that lets subscribers connect to popular video streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu and BBC iPlayer.

This Teleport service is not a VPN (virtual private networking) service used usually to provide such video streaming. Instead, MyRepublic’s new add-on to its broadband services is a proprietary technology promising zero effort from the user to install or configure.

Instead of routing all of a user’s traffic through a foreign server, Teleport integrates fully within MyRepublic’s Internet links, which come with a promise of better speeds. Also unlike a traditional VPN, Teleport will provide redirection only for pre-approved websites.

So you could be watching Netflix through Teleport, for example, but it won’t let you access sites restricted in Singapore, such as Playboy.com.

This means that MyRepublic has full control over which sites Teleport users can access. Currently, the service works only with Hulu, Netflix, and Pandora, but the company is working to add more sites, promising at least 20 websites by its launch in June.

If there is a particular site that you want to access, you can suggest it to MyRepublic for their consideration, the company said on Thursday, in a event to celebrate its first anniversary.

Teleport’s user-friendliness may appeal to the regular consumer, but power users who don’t mind a little set-up and configuration will probably still prefer a traditional VPN option for its flexibility.

In any case, the additional choice will benefit consumers looking to cut the cord and access over-the-top content provided over the Net instead of traditional pay-TV set-top boxes.

MyRepublic will invite 1,000 of its customers to participate in a public beta test of Teleport in early April. The add-on to its broadband service is estimated to cost around S$5 a month at launch later this year.