The promotion of higher speed of fixed broadband, will push faster migration from legacy broadband to fiber network, which is beneficial to M1.
M1 has the highest ARPU, without surprise, due to no legacy network as SingTel and Starhub.
Telcos' broadband business seen improving but rate hikes may erode appeal: OCBC
SINGAPORE (March 10): Profit margins for Singapore telcos' broadband business should start picking up as competition is becoming "more rational" with Internet service providers no longer banking on price to grab market share, according to OCBC Investment Research.
"Instead, more are starting to offer speed upgrades to entice customers to sign up with them," OCBC analyst Carey Wong wrote in a note.
"As the incremental cost of these speed upgrades are quite minimal, margins should also start to improve."
Already, M1's average revenue per user (ARPU) has inched up to $46 a month from a low of $42 in 4Q2013, while that for Singtel has stabilised at about $30, according to Wong.
While Starhub's ARPU has fallen to a record low of $34 a month, that may have been distorted by the packaging deals it offers together with its pay-TV service, he said.
...
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/sg/article...ppeal-ocbc
A mini storm within Singapore Telcos...
Telco storm brews over social media smears
SINGAPORE — The major telcos here have been dragged into a controversy over the conduct of social media agency Gushcloud, with M1 and StarHub asking the authorities to look into allegations that Singtel, through the agency, incentivised social media “influencers” to conduct a smear campaign against them.
Singtel has distanced itself from Gushcloud’s actions and clarified that it did not issue the brief that asked the influencers — a term used to describe people having a substantial reach and following on social media platforms — to complain about the other two telcos’ services or network connections. The brief, written by a Gushcloud employee, has since been circulated online.
Singtel said it uses different digital agencies for its campaigns and Gushcloud was among the agencies that it had hired in June last year.
“It is Singtel’s policy to focus on the strengths and differentiators when marketing our products and services. It is not our practice to run negative campaigns against any individual or organisation. This is not the way we manage our marketing promotions. We will remind our agencies to strictly adhere to this policy when running campaigns for Singtel.”
Both M1 and StarHub said they were taking up the matter with Singtel and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA). An M1 spokesperson said: “Such practices are unethical and we intend to seek clarification with the relevant operator on this matter. We will also request the IDA to look into this pursuant to the Telecom Competition Code and will explore further action if necessary.”
StarHub chief marketing officer Jeannie Ong said the company is “deeply disturbed by the tactics employed and the possible damage to our brand”. “We will be engaging with both the IDA and the relevant operator on this issue,” she said.
The IDA said it was aware of the matter. A spokesperson said the authority has always encouraged its licensees to “focus on promoting the availability, price and quality of their own services or equipment, and refrain from negative campaigns against their competitors”.
She added: “This will allow end users to make informed choices. Operators should abide by the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice when conducting marketing activities.”
...
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/tel...dia-smears
The MyRepublic plan has been pushed further...
MyRepublic adds to plans for fourth telco
SINGAPORE (Mar 18): Internet service provider MyRepublic could deploy a fourth telco network by end-2016 or early 2017.
At a press conference today, CEO Malcolm Rodrigues revealed that the company has definite plans to bid for available spectrum in order to set up the country’s fourth mobile network operator.
Rodrigues expects the Infocomm Development Authority to hold an auction for spectrum at the end of this year.
He also believes that IDA is strongly motivated to ensure the viability of a fourth player because the three incumbents are very profitable. “My sense is that they are completely committed to making it happen.”
Currently, MyRepublic is in negotiations with several parties to form a tri-party consortium that will make a bid for spectrum. One of them is likely to be local. “We are looking for somebody who has infrastructure and some political sway,” he says. The other will probably be a foreign operator who can bring innovation and expertise to the group.
The company has determined to deploy a network made up mostly of small cells. These are smaller than traditional mobile towers and also have a smaller radius, but they are cheaper and consume less power.
This low cost network will enable MyRepublic to offer its customers an unbeatable deal: unlimited mobile data. After hitting a certain data cap, speed will be throttled. But these caps will be very large – probably at least 10GB.
MyRepublic made a name for itself when it entered the local fixed broadband space in 2012 with a no-contract offering – a first for the market. Since then, its aggressive pricing and high-speed plans have become something of a thorn in the side of the larger broadband service providers. Prices across the industry have come down and the margins of the incumbents have been negatively hit.
Read more about changes to the broadband industry in your issue of The Edge Singapore this weekend.
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/sg/article...urth-telco
(17-03-2015, 11:20 AM)NTL Wrote: [ -> ]More info regarding this Telcos' spat from TheRealSingapore...
http://therealsingapore.com/content/sing...1-services
The latest update of the spat...
Singtel ends relationship with Gushcloud, apologises to StarHub, M1
SINGAPORE — Singtel has terminated its relationship with social media agency Gushcloud, after the agency caused a storm by asking its “influencers” to complain about rival telcos as part of a campaign for Singtel.
The employee who worked with Gushcloud on the campaign is also no longer with the company, said Singtel Group chief executive officer Chua Sock Koong in a post in the company’s Facebook page tonight (March 19).
The employee, she said, did not adhere to Singtel’s professional standards and values. “We are committed to healthy competition in each of our markets. The senior management and I apologise, in particular to M1 and Starhub, that our actions in this incident did not live up to our high standards and values,” she said.
She added: “We will reinforce these professional standards and values in the company. We will also ensure that business partners we work with are held to the same professional standards.”
...
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/sin...onger-them
(20-03-2015, 10:11 AM)CityFarmer Wrote: [ -> ] (17-03-2015, 11:20 AM)NTL Wrote: [ -> ]More info regarding this Telcos' spat from TheRealSingapore...
http://therealsingapore.com/content/sing...1-services
The latest update of the spat...
Singtel ends relationship with Gushcloud, apologises to StarHub, M1
SINGAPORE — Singtel has terminated its relationship with social media agency Gushcloud, after the agency caused a storm by asking its “influencers” to complain about rival telcos as part of a campaign for Singtel.
The employee who worked with Gushcloud on the campaign is also no longer with the company, said Singtel Group chief executive officer Chua Sock Koong in a post in the company’s Facebook page tonight (March 19).
The employee, she said, did not adhere to Singtel’s professional standards and values. “We are committed to healthy competition in each of our markets. The senior management and I apologise, in particular to M1 and Starhub, that our actions in this incident did not live up to our high standards and values,” she said.
She added: “We will reinforce these professional standards and values in the company. We will also ensure that business partners we work with are held to the same professional standards.”
...
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/sin...onger-them
Quite sad how social media has been abused by businesses. We need regulation or law that impose heavy penalties on such. Hope our Gov having majority is able to catch up on this. This is blatant lies right in the face of consumers.
> The company has determined to deploy a network made up mostly of small cells. These are smaller than traditional mobile towers and also have a smaller radius, but they are cheaper and
> consume less power.
> This low cost network will enable MyRepublic to offer its customers an unbeatable deal: unlimited mobile data. After hitting a certain data cap, speed will be throttled. But these caps will be
> very large – probably at least 10GB.
M1 only has the fibre broadband to bundle with its mobile phone data plan. I wonder how it will cope with the new entrant. If MyRepublic offers a plan with 10GB tier, all the telcos will respond...
How much cost and technology advantage does Myrepublic have to offer an attractive deal? Any telco expert here can share information?
(04-04-2015, 03:25 PM)Contrarian Wrote: [ -> ]> The company has determined to deploy a network made up mostly of small cells. These are smaller than traditional mobile towers and also have a smaller radius, but they are cheaper and
> consume less power.
> This low cost network will enable MyRepublic to offer its customers an unbeatable deal: unlimited mobile data. After hitting a certain data cap, speed will be throttled. But these caps will be
> very large – probably at least 10GB.
M1 only has the fibre broadband to bundle with its mobile phone data plan. I wonder how it will cope with the new entrant. If MyRepublic offers a plan with 10GB tier, all the telcos will respond...
How much cost and technology advantage does Myrepublic have to offer an attractive deal? Any telco expert here can share information?
Telecom technology are with telecom vendors, not with telecom operator. No telecom operator will gain much advantages over newer technology.
I quote a statement from the FY2014 M1 AR page 22. Small cell technology was deployed by M1. I reckon the same for SingTel and Starhub.
"Small cell technology: Following the
successful trials of 4G small cell technology
in 2013, we deployed this technology at
the Singapore Grand Prix in September
2014 and the Marina Bay area during the
New Year countdown celebrations to meet
the increased demand for mobile data and
provide a better customer experience"
The edge of MyRepublic, is, no legacy from existing traditional installation, probably not on 4G, but the 3G and/or older technologies.
(vested in M1)
M1 CEO : "And I would imagine the key concern for the local telcos would be whether or not they're going to set aside spectrum for the fourth new entrant".
If this happens, and Myrepublic offers a 10GB data plan and unlimited data plan, the rest will have to match it...
this could possibly bring down price of mobile plans over the next 1-2 years?
My 5cents worth:
- ida has been doing quite a number of consultation papers in the past with the 3 telcos. Imo, ida would like to introduce more competition but usually the 3 telcos will say stuff warning against so (to keep it an oligopoly).
- the possibility of needing to bail out a telco is present on the authorities mind, such that there was an amendment to the telco act passed in parliament last few years ago, that allows the government to take over a failed telco company.
- as a suitable compromise, ida is thinking to introduce an mvno so that one or more of the incumbent can still benefit from wholesale of bandwidth, and there is control of the operators - I suspect ida has their hands full with these 3 telcos already.
- by shooting off and claiming to be the 4th telco without any concrete moves from ida, myrepublic is forcing ida hand. It doesn't actually bode well for myrepublic imo - ida may find myrepublic too aggressive and may pose problems down the road.
- as noted, myrepublic needs to secure funding to have a chance at this. And given that the authority has time to run the auction late, there is no threat to the 3 telcos in the near to mid term.
- the small cell technology has been around for a while (i remember cna did a feature on alcatel product) but achieved very low take up rate. Apparently there are commerical/strategic issues inhibiting this growth.
- finally, on the bandwidth advantage, I doubt a 4th operator can easily replace existing customers who are comfortable with the telco and the multi-service discounts that each telco is offering.
Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk
(vested in starhub. Edited for spacing)