I talked to both i-Cable and Netvigator sales people on the street again today, for the second or third time after having a chance to understand the different providers and their offers.
1. i-Cable offer: $111/month unlimited broadband, or $129 broadband w/ broadband TV (limited channels, most of which I'm not interested), or $139 broadband w/ phone line. 12 month contract.
2. Netvigator offer: $288/month x 12 months 3mb unlimited broadband, with 3 months free (average $216/month), or $194/month x 18 months 6mb unlimited broadband. Includes 12 Now TV channels.
(Do their offers vary in different places? I seem to have been given a different offer when I talked to them two weeks ago.)
Netvigator sales told me not to be fooled by the i-Cable guys and their seemingly attractive offers, as their so-called 8mb line is shared with lots of other people in the building, so connection is slow, unreliable, etc. He showed me several articles on consumer complaints against i-Cable and dishonesty of some i-Cable sales.
I then went to i-Cable to see what they'd say. They admitted that the line is shared, but showed me an article saying that there is no such thing as dedicted line in HK, no matter what the service providers may say (e.g. Netvigator dedicated 3mb/6mb lines), quoting confirmation from some telecom authority. He then showed me a few articles regarding independent research comparing the speed of several providers, and i-Cable consistantly ranked top.
I ended up registering with Netvigator after all (Good to see this thread that assured me I probably made the right decision). I also signed up for "HK Broadband"'s broadband phone, for $34/month, 12 month contract.