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SingTel acquires 60% stake in Singapore Computer Systems (Singapore)

  • August 26th, 2008
  • 1:18 pm

According to a media report, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) has bought a 60% stake in IT services provider Singapore Computer Systems for $99 million from Green Dot Capital, a unit of state investment firm Temasek Holdings, which is also SingTel’s parent company. This move will prompt a manadatory offer for all shares in Singapore Computer Systems.

Singtel offers free iPhone to it’s subscribers (Singapore)

  • August 20th, 2008
  • 7:23 am

Singtel will be offering it’s subscribers a free Apple phone when they sign up for the $205 monthly SingTel subscription plan, a two-year long plan.

The iPhone rage will start in Singapore on August 22 and will have Singtel as the first provider. Starhub and MobileOne should be offering the iPhone here by year’s end.

The existing Singtel subscribers can also avail for the offer if they sign up for the two year plan, that will run concurrently with their existing plans.

Subscribers on SingTel’s iThree Plus which goes for $192.60 a month will also receive the iPhone for free. Those on the iTwo

Plus plan will have the option to sign up for a $95 monthly plan on a 24-month contract to get the iPhone at a discounted

price of $208 for the 16GB model and $49 for the 8GB model.

iTwo Value subscribers will get the 16GB iPhone for $508 and the 8GB model for $348 if they sign up for a $56 monthly plan on a two year contract.

iOne Plus subscribers paying $25.68 per month will have to pay $848 for the 16GB and $698 for the 8GB phone.

   

Telstra reports 14% profit growth, shares drop (Australia)

  • August 13th, 2008
  • 11:49 am

According to report, Telstra missed expectations with a 14% rise in second-half profit and forecast growth in the year ahead that was also below analysts’ expectations “At present we are seeing minimal impact from the prevailing macroeconomic environment on our domestic business,” Telstra said. The report also said the carrier would consider using its strong free cash flow to increase returns to shareholders, make acquisitions or cut debt.

Telstra said it expected 3-4% growth in sales and 6-8% growth in earnings before interest and tax, compared with analysts’ forecasts for a 2.7% rise in sales and an 8.5% rise in EBIT. Analysts warned ahead of the result that broker forecasts for the 2009 financial year were bullish at a time when Telstra faced a slowing economic growth in Australia, which was likely to curb demand from corporate customers. Telstra shares have outperformed the broader market so far this year but after the result its shares fell as much as 4% to a low of A$4.32. The shares last traded down 3.3 percent at A$4.35 in a broader market down 2.1 percent. Net profit for the six months to June rose to $1.5 billion up from $1.3 billion a year earlier, in line below analysts’ forecasts of $1.56 billion as estimated. The main drivers were strong growth in sales of high-speed internet services to homes and advanced services on mobile phones, as it enticed customers from its main rivals Optus (owned by SingTel).

NFC on six months public trial (Singapore)

  • August 12th, 2008
  • 2:12 pm

Near Field Communications (NFC) is on trial for six months which will inturn bring about electronic payments provider for Singaporeans. To make payements using their mobile phones, NETS, working together with SingTel and United Overseas Bank on that note.

According to NETS and SingTel, aim of the trial is to assess how consumers will use and adapt to this technology. “These days, mobile phones are so much more than just a communication device, and extending their use to mobile payments in a logical step forward,” said Mr Quek Peck Leng, Executive Vice President of Consumer, SingTel. Highlight of this trial is the mNETS Coupon initiative. Users simply open the coupon on their phones and flash it on a NETS FlashPay reader for the coupon to be automatically redeemed.

Presently, the patent for this real-time coupon redemption feature by NETS is pending. “The use of mobile phones as a payment device will give people a new perspective and user experience in making payments. This public trial will enable NETS to stay at the forefront of payment technology and create a sustainable eco-system for mobile phone-based payments,” said Ms Poh Mui Hoon, Chief Executive Officer, NETS.

Trial includes:

  • Participation in the NFC public trial is free-of-charge.
  • SingTel and NETS will loan customers an NFC-enabled Nokia 6131 phone that functions as an mNETS Wallet.
  • SingTel-UOB credit card will be the default mode for topping up the stored value in the trial phone.
  • There are no transaction fees or surcharges for purchases.

SingTel combined mobile customer base reached 197.71 million (Singapore)

  • August 11th, 2008
  • 10:25 am

The group’s combined mobile customer base grew 45% and reached 197.71 million to 30 June 2008. On a proportionate share basis, the customer base grew 42% year on year despite slowdown in growth of regional economies, said Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SGT). Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, are the eight Asia Pacific markets of group’s mobile customer base. Singtel is adding 182,000 new customers in Q4 of FY08, for a total of 2.75 million.The company said that due to a strong presence in the foreign worker segment, prepaid customers grew 151,000, to 1.34 million.

Singtel is now having 961,000 3G mobile subscribers, representing 68% of its total postpaid base. According to the company Optus’ total customer base reached 7.24 million as it continued to expand its 3G network, which provided coverage to more than 80% of the population. Bharti sets another record of adding 7.40 million new customers in India, which constituted 35% of the combined mobile base, while AIS attracted more than 877,000 new customers.

iPhone 3G launches in 20 countries on August 22

  • August 7th, 2008
  • 12:18 pm

The iPhone 3G will be launched in twenty more countries on August 22. All the operators concerned have made their formal announcements. 10 countries are Latin American.It is predicted that SingTel will also join the mix, but the reports are yet to be confirmed.

August 22 releases

    * Argentina - Telefonica and America Movil
    * Chile - Telefonica and America Movil
    * Colombia - Telefonica and America Movil
    * Czech Republic - O2
    * Ecuador - Telefonica and America Movil
    * El Salvador - Telefonica and America Movil
    * Estonia - Eesti Mobii Telefon
    * Guatemala - Telefonica and America Movil
    * Honduras - America Movil
    * Hungary - T-Mobile
    * India - Bharti Airtel and Vodafone
    * Paraguay - America Movil
    * Philippines - GlobeTelecom
    * Peru - Telefonica and America Movil
    * Poland - Orange and Era
    * Romania - Orange
    * Uruguay - Telefonica and America Movil

   

SingTel to release iPhone 3G in September (Singapore)

  • August 5th, 2008
  • 7:29 am

SingTel, in early September, may start selling Apple iPhone 3G in Singapore, a source revealed.
Earlier it was stated by the SingTel, the largest telecommunications firm in Singapore by revenue, will bring the iPhone 3G by end of this year.

   

SingTel’s CFO Heing resigns, Optus CFO takes over (Singapore)

  • August 1st, 2008
  • 7:05 am

SingTel, Southeast Asia’s biggest telecoms group, has announced that it’s chief financial officer Francis Heng’ resignation effective from Sept 1. According to SingTel spokesperson, this step was out of personal reasons.

The comapny also announced the name of it’s new chief financial officer, Jeann Low Ngiap Jong, who is currently working as the chief financial officer of its Australian unit Optus. He will join the job on Sept 1.

   

Apple iPhone 3G is already here in Singapore.

  • July 28th, 2008
  • 6:49 am

Apple iPhone 3G have its official debut in Singapore before the end of September. Some users bought it in from Hong Kong, where it was launched on July 11. Those in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and New Zealand were the first in the Asia-Pacific market to buy the new-generation iPhone 3G. Singapore could be in the next wave.
Loyal iPhone fans have either gone to Hong Kong or asked friends going there to buy the phone for them. In Hong Kong, the highly anticipated touch-screen device will cost Singaporeans about $1,600. This is the no-contract price.

This is because there is no need to ‘hack’ this new version, unlike the first-generation iPhone which was configured for exclusive deals with telcos like AT&T in the United States.

SingTel and 3 Hollywood studios signed a deal (Singapore)

  • July 23rd, 2008
  • 12:48 pm

SingTel inked a deal with three Hollywood studios to allow its pay-TV subscribers to watch the latest TV series as early as 24 hours after they had been telecast in the United States . Singapore Telecommunications Ltd , Southeast Asia’s biggest telecom firm, said it had signed content agreements with Disney-ABC International Television, the international TV distribution arm of Walt Disney Co , News Corp unit Twentieth Century Fox and Time Warner Inc’s Warner Bros. International Television.

SingTel’s mio TV offers 50 channels now, up from 20 at launch. It has about 45,000 subscribers, compared with StarHub’s 508,000 users. “We think this is a very significant acquisition of content for us, and we are optimistic about the take-up rates that we will get as a result of this deal,” SingTel’s Singapore Chief Executive Allen Lew said. SingTel said such content deals would typically be exclusive for a period of five to six months.