Wireless Federation

StarHub introduces new Multi SIM plan (Singapore)

On 10.21.11, In Mobile, By Editor

StarHub, a fully integrated info-communication company, has introduced a new multi-SIM mobile plan for its smartphone and tablet users. With an increasing number of subscribers using more than one mobile phone to use different mobile applications, StarHub has designed customized plans for its users by offering them two SIM cards of the same number for two mobile handsets.

The new plan, termed ‘i2Surf’, will be launched on 28 October, allowing users to use both cards simultaneously for outgoing calls, SMS, MMS and data transfers, while incoming calls, SMS and MMS will received on the primary handset assigned by the user. Further, it offers users 24 months of free Multi-SIM subscription worth $189 which can be used over their second handset device or their tablet or dongle.

As per reports, Joanna Chan, Vice-President (Personal Solutions), StarHub said that in recent years, they have observed a growing number of customers who own two mobile devices, a combination of smartphones and tablets or dongles. She added that they believe the new i2surf mobile plan will be attractive to this new generation of multi-device users as they will now be able to use two SIM cards for two devices to call, SMS, surf the internet and use their mobile applications anytime and anywhere.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Joanna Chan • Multi-SIM • Singapore • StarHub

Singapore mobile operators launch SMS donation drive

On 03.28.11, In Mobile, By Editor

M1, SingTel and StarHub, and Ericsson’s global mobile commerce enabler IPX, have launched a donation drive to aid victims of the Japan disaster.

As per the donation drive, postpaid mobile customers in Singapore will be able to make a US$3.96, $7.92 or US$15.85 donation by sending SMS to a common short-code.

Donations will go towards the Singapore Red Cross Society’s relief efforts in Japan. This mobile donation campaign will continue for one month, starting from March 28 till April 25.

M1, SingTel, StarHub and Ericsson have jointly agreed to waive all administration fees associated with such premium SMS, and forward the full proceeds to the relief organization. The donations will be reflected in customers’ next monthly bill from their respective mobile service providers. Donations are not tax-deductible and people below the age of eighteen will require parental or guardian consent before making a donation.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: donation drive • Ericsson • IPX • Japan • M1 • operators • postpaid • Singapore • SingTel • SMS • StarHub

Singapore to auction 4G next year

On 01.28.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Singapore’s telecoms regulator, the IDA is planning to deploy 4G based LTE and WiMAX networks following a consultation with the networks and some industry vendors.

The government of the city state of Singapore will conduct an auction of wireless spectrum for 4G services in 2012.

The national regulator, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has announced that under the plan six lots of spectrum will be auctioned off for fourth generation ultra-high speed mobile data services.

Currently, five local operators hold spectrum in the 2300MHz/2500MHz band for mobile or wireless broadband services (valid until 2015): SingTel, StarHub, MobileOne Asia (M1), QMax and PacketOne.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 4G LTE • Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) • ingTel • Mobile • MobileOne Asia (M1) • PacketOne • QMax • Singapore • StarHub • ultra-high speed mobile data services • WiMAX network

IDA penalizes SingTel (Singapore)

On 01.17.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Singapore’s largest carrier, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) has been penalized with fines totaling US$101,000 by Singapore’s regulatory body, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).

The fines are believed to have stemmed from a wholesale broadband promotion SingTel had offered during the last quarter of 2009. SingTel had apparently breached regulations for competition in the telecommunications sector by offering wholesale discounted prices for its 4 Mbps and 10 Mbps services to only one ISP, while keeping the others in the dark.

The relevant ISPs could include rivals Starhub and M1 as well as SingNet, SingTel’s internet unit. The IDA had started investigations after receiving a complaint from another ISP.

According to reports, the IDA had fined SingTel $50,000 for not informing other eligible ISPs of the promotion, an act the IDA deemed â€˜discriminatory’. SingTel was further fined $80,000, bringing the total to $130,000, for offering the same wholesale broadband promotion without seeking approval from the IDA, as was required due to its position as the dominant player. While SingTel had informed the IDA of the price changes, the carrier had not indicated that the 4 Mbps and 10 Mbps services formed part of the promotion.

According to SingTel spokesperson, aspects of the wholesale broadband promotion had been left out during the approval seeking process due to a genuine oversight, SingTel would continue to view and tighten its internal processes. SingTel has paid the fines.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: IDA • ISP • M1 • Mobile • Singapore • SingTel • StarHub

Singapore to auction residual 3G spectrum

On 09.22.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Singapore will auction remaining 3G mobile spectrum in November. According to the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the auction of three lots of additional bandwidth will start on Nov. 15 and the reserve price has been set at S$20 million each.

The proposed auction for the remaining 3G spectrum started with strong conflict from the three local telcos–SingTel, M1 and StarHub, who were allotted these 3G spectrum , citing reasons that there is the lack of demand as seen in the previous auction, and the operators have already put a large amount of investment in developing 3G capabilities. The three telcos also cautioned that consumers may ultimately have to bear higher prices which will be determined by the auction.

In response to the claims by these three telcos , IDA noted that even if the remaining 3G lots were to be redistributed between the existing market players, there is no guarantee prices will be kept low as telcos typically peg their services according to market rates. The operators are expected to charge end-users a price they think the market can bear independent of the cost of the 3G spectrum lots. The one-time payment for the spectrum will likely be regarded by operators as done for cost and unlikely to be passed on to consumers.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • IDA • M1 • Mobile • Singapore • SingTel • StarHub

StarHub Q1 profit falls 48.3% year-on-year (Singapore)

On 05.07.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 48.3% year-on-year drop in net profits for the three months ended March 31, 2010 has been reported by Singapore’s second largest telecoms operator by subscribers and revenues, StarHub. The net profit ended at SGD42.7 million (USD30.6 million) due to higher operating costs.

5% year-on-year increase in the revenue has been reported to keep things on the positive side and it increased from SGD531.0 million to SGD557.2 million.

According to the company, mobile revenue increased 8% y-o-y to SGD286 million, aided by a small boost in its customer base to 1.97 million and turnover from post-paid mobile user grew 10% over twelve months to SGD220 million, accounting for 77% of the mobile revenue mix; contract ARPU increased SGD2 to SGD69 per month.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: ARPU • ASIA • operator • Singapore • StarHub

StarHub completes HSPA+ network test (Singapore)

On 03.17.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: HSPA+ network test has been successfully completed by Singapore’s StarHub through the use of Dual Carrier frequency technology. The conclusion in the test will result in a peak data downlink speed of up to 42.2Mbps.

After the test, StarHub has become the first mobile operator in Southeast Asia to have successfully deployed the Dual Carrier technology on its HSPA+ network. Principle of bonding two carrier channels dominates the Dual Carrier technology allowing the increase of the transmission to double the current maximum value of 21Mbps.

According to Mr Peter Cook, Vice President, Integrated Network Engineering at StarHub, the deployment of 42.2Mbps HSPA+ Dual Carrier technology is a straightforward upgrade of the telco’s current HSPA+ network that will double its current downlink peak rate of 21Mbps. The company is basically installing new software into current network equipment, with minimal hardware upgrade required.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: ASIA • HSPA • operator • Singapore • StarHub

Singapore’s StarHub Q4 net profit drops by 15.1%

On 02.05.10, In Outsourcing, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 15.1% drop in the net profit has been recorded by Singapore telecommunications firm StarHub Ltd in its fourth quarter due to higher cost of equipment as the operator launched Apple’s iPhone in December. The net profit lowered from S$87.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008 to S$74.2 million in 2009. The service revenue of the firm rose 1% to S$2.06 billion.

A dividend of five Singapore cents per share for the fourth quarter has also been declared by StarHub.

According to StarHub Chief Executive Neil Montefiore, considering the competitive landscape and slow economy, they have delivered a stable FY2009 result, with all their lines of business performing as expected.

Filed under:Outsourcing Tagged with: Apple • iPhone • Launch • Net Profit • operator • Singapore • Singapore Telecommunications • StarHub

U Mobile’s 33% stake to be sold to STT (Malaysia)

On 02.05.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A part of the stake is agreed to be sold by Berjaya Group, the single largest shareholder in U Mobile which is Malaysia’s fourth-placed mobile network operator. The stake will be acquired by Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT) in a deal worth around MYR626 million (USD183.81 million). STT is one of the major shareholders in Singaporean telco StarHub. The talks between two companies began in September 2009.

U Mobile’s hunt for a strategic investor would be ended by the completion of the deal. U Mobile needed an investor since September 2009 when Japan’s NTT DoCoMo and South Korea’s KT Corp announced to sell their combined 33% stake in the Malaysian cellco for USD200 million.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: ASIA • Japan • KT Corp • Malaysia • NTT DoCoMo • operator • Singapore • Singapore Technologies Telemedia • South Korea • StarHub • U Mobile

StarHub and M1 offer more iPhones on Christmas (Singapore)

On 12.07.09, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: StarHub and M1 are coming up with Christmas gifts for the people by bringing out more iPhones from Wednesday and offering lower handset prices and more generous phone packages to sign up users. Both telco’s announced their plans and pricing for the Apple product.

Depending on the phone model and plan chosen, StarHub customers will have to pay something between nothing to $668, the plan starting at $38 monthly. M1 customers will also have to pay between nothing to $668, with its iPhone starting at $36.

M1 which is the smallest mobile operator of Singapore and has been losing its market share has also offered a package with 10GB of mobile data for its entry-level $36 a month packages, which is 10 times of StarHub’s offer and 20 times SingTel’s. Telecom operator Singtel was the first to offer latest iPhone 3GS to its customers, selling them at $678.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • Apple • ASIA • iPhones • M1 • Singapore • SingTel • StarHub • telecom operator