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Straits Times
11-08-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Telco competition expected to subside, price war unlikely after sale of M1 to Simba: Analysts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Keppel announced on Aug 11 the sale of the telecom business of its subsidiary M1 to rival Simba Telecom for $1.43 billion. SINGAPORE - Simba Telecom's acquisition of rival M1 is expected to create a stronger competitor to Singtel and StarHub, but do not expect mobile plan prices to change as a result, said analysts. A price war is unlikely to break out in the near term since current plans are already competitive, said head of OCBC investment research Carmen Lee. On Aug 11, Singapore-based Keppel announced the sale of the telecom business of its subsidiary M1 to rival Simba Telecom for $1.43 billion. For instance, Simba's SuperRoam10 plan comes with 400GB of data for Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong at a price of $10 monthly. M1's Maxx plan also offers a generous 290GB of data for use in Singapore and Malaysia for a record low of $7.90 a month. 'In a typical merger, the initial period will entail a re-look into understanding the combined entity and the potential synergies. We believe pricing strategy will not be an immediate consideration,' said Ms Lee. Similarly, rivals are unlikely to undercut their prices to win over M1 customers even though it is easy for consumers to switch telcos. Instead, rival telcos may try to poach these customers with tactics such as bundling mobile and fixed broadband services for a special offer, or through loyalty programmes, said Professor Lawrence Loh of NUS Business School's department of strategy and policy. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business Lower-wage retail workers to receive up to 6% pay bump from Sept 1 Singapore Keppel to sell M1's telco business to Simba for $1.43b, says deal expected to benefit consumers Singapore ST Explains: Who owns Simba, the company that is buying M1? Singapore ST Explains: What is Vers and which HDB estates could it be rolled out in? Singapore For Vers to work, compensation should account for varied needs of HDB flat owners: Observers Singapore Ong Ye Kung rebuts complaints about treatment of stallholders at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre Singapore 'Incorrigible' sexual predator who preyed on children convicted for 4th time The sale of M1 is subject to approval by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, and Keppel said it hopes to wrap up the deal in the next few months. Analysts also said that the consolidation of four mobile network operators to three could reduce the pressure to compete on price. Competition in the telco industry is expected to stabilise and subside over the longer term, said Maybank Singapore's equity research analyst Hussaini Saifee. He added that it is unlikely that consumers will jump ship unless the network quality deteriorates after integration. 'On the consumer side, M1 reaches the mid to low ranges of the market while Simba is geared towards the low end of the market,' said Mr Saifee. 'Arguably, they can try to penetrate the higher end of the market with network synergies. But we will have to see what their strategy is after the consolidation.' Singtel commands half of the total number of mobile subscribers here, with 4.5 million customers, while StarHub and M1 each have about two million subscribers. Simba has more than one million mobile subscribers. OCBC's Ms Lee said that the merger of Simba and M1 would reduce duplication of services and provide cost synergies from more efficient use of network infrastructure. The combined entity would also be better placed to compete with Singtel and StarHub in the consumer and enterprise markets. The merger might also generate greater technological investments that result in better quality service and innovative offerings for consumers, said Prof Loh. Consumers, on the other hand, are hoping that prices remain affordable and services, reliable. Mr Tang S.K., a business owner in his 50s, said he switched to M1 from StarHub on Aug 11 as he was attracted by M1's affordable plans and customer service. He was not aware of the sale that was announced in the morning. He hopes that service reliability would not suffer when Simba takes over the operations of M1. 'Simba must continue to be reliable and... provide good deals,' said Mr Tang. A retail assistant who wants to be known only as Mrs Tara, 55, said: 'If the acquisition goes through, I hope the prices will be lower than what it is now.' She is currently paying $20 a month for an M1 plan which comes with 330GB of data. She heard that Simba's plans are even cheaper. Civil servant Danish Raman, 29, said that he hopes his connections would remain stable following the M1 sale. 'Although Simba is relatively cheaper than the standard telco, the network connection in certain places can be quite bad.'
Straits Times
11-08-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
ST Explains: Who owns Simba, the company that is buying M1?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Simba Telecom will be acquiring M1 from Keppel in a deal worth $1.43 billion. SINGAPORE - Keppel will be selling the telecommunications business of its subsidiary M1 to rival Simba Telecom for $1.43 billion. The sale has been widely anticipated by market watchers. But speculation had centred on StarHub instead of Simba as the likely buyer. Simba and M1 have the least overlap in resources, which Keppel said is expected to create further revenue pools and career opportunities. The Straits Times explains who owns Simba, Singapore's fourth telco, and what the sale means to consumers. Who is Simba? Simba, previously known as TPG Singapore, became the Republic's fourth telco in 2016 after winning an airwave auction held by then regulator Infocomm Development Authority, which has since become the Infocomm Media Development Authority. Simba is owned by Australia-listed company Tuas, incorporated in March 2020 as part of the Australian TPG Group. After a merger between TPG Australia and Vodafone Hutchison Australia in June 2020, the Singapore mobile business was separated from the broader TPG Group and all its shares were transferred to Tuas. In 2022, the telco rebranded itself after usage rights to the TPG brand expired. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Keppel to sell M1's telco business to Simba for $1.43b, says deal expected to benefit consumers Business Singtel, StarHub shares fall after announcement of Keppel's M1 sale Singapore Simba-M1 deal is S'pore's first telco merger, after years of liberalisation Singapore Hyflux issued preference shares to fund Tuaspring as it had problems getting bank loans: Prosecution Singapore S'pore Govt asks inactive political parties including Barisan Sosialis for proof of existence Singapore Man's claim amid divorce that his mother is true owner of 3 properties cuts no ice with judge Opinion Anwar's government: Full house but plenty of empty offices Simba, which operates only in Singapore, spent several years rolling out its mobile and fixed broadband networks, and launched commercial services here only in 2020. Its first product was a SIM-only plan that offered 50GB of data for $10 monthly – the cheapest in the market. Australian billionaire David Teoh is executive chairman of Tuas and chairman of Simba. Simba's chief executive officer is Mr Richard Tan, who is based in Singapore. What is Simba known for? Simba is known for its affordable and generous mobile plans, starting at $5 per month for 400GB of data for seniors. Its 5G plans range from 400GB to 700GB, offering seamless connectivity across regional destinations. The most basic plan for adults, SuperRoam10, comes with 400GB of data for Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong at a price of $10 monthly. How big is Simba in Singapore? Simba had more than one million mobile subscribers as at December 2024. It is the fourth-largest telco here. Singtel commands half of the total number of mobile subscribers here, with 4.5 million customers, while StarHub and M1 each has about two million subscribers. How will Simba's acquisition of M1 affect customers? Keppel said the deal is expected to benefit consumers through market consolidation and harnessing synergies between the two telcos. Simba and M1 have the least overlap in resources, which Keppel said is expected to create further revenue pools and career opportunities. 'The proposed transaction offers a strategic path to sustainable growth for Singapore's telco sector,' said Keppel CEO Loh Chin Hua. 'M1 and Simba are a highly synergistic combination. Together, they can scale more efficiently, optimise infrastructure, and accelerate 5G and digital investments, greatly enhancing service quality while contributing to a more resilient, future-ready telco industry.'
The Star
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
No need for travel e-SIM or roaming: S'pore telcos offer generous cross-border data bundles
SINGAPORE: More local telcos are offering 'borderless' mobile plans at record low prices to woo an increasing number of globetrotting consumers. Such plans allow consumers to use a generous bundle of mobile data across borders without paying more, or activating a travel e-SIM or roaming feature. The latest to jump on this trend is M1, whose Maxx plan offers 290GB of data for use in Singapore and Malaysia for a record low of S$7.90 (US$6.16) a month. The plan also includes 10GB of mobile data for use in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. This follows the January launch of Simba Telecom's S$10 monthly SuperRoam 10 plan that provides 300GB of 5G data that can be used in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. A separate 12GB of roaming mobile data for seven other Asian destinations is included in the same plan. Singapore's virtual telco started the borderless trend here in September 2023, when it let customers use 100GB across eight Asian destinations (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh). The monthly plan costs S$30 for the first three months, and S$37 after that. Fabian Sossa, vice-president of corporate and global marketing at said: 'The plan is designed for mobile professionals, digital nomads, students, tourists and families with cross-border ties... essentially anyone who needs connectivity across multiple countries without friction.' Since then, other telcos have followed suit. While most of these plans today cover connectivity in Malaysia, others also include popular Asian destinations like Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A rise in cross-border travel after the Covid-19 pandemic provided the initial impetus. For instance, the number of daily travellers at the Woodlands Checkpoint stood at 327,000 on average in 2024. This is up 22 per cent from the 269,000 in 2023, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Likewise, in 2024, Indonesia received 1.4 million visitors from Singapore, while Singapore received 2.49 million visitors from Indonesia. Singapore is one of the top five source countries for visitors to Indonesia, while Indonesia is the second-largest source country for visitors to Singapore. Experts said the setting up of special trade zones in the region and the upcoming launch of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will further boost demand for such mobile data plans. These special economic zones, which include the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, are meant to boost the flow of goods, services and people across borders, and reduce barriers to trade and investment. The RTS Link will connect Malaysia's second-largest city, Johor Bahru, and Woodlands in Singapore over the Strait of Johor. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Peter Liu, an analyst at Gartner specialising in telecoms, said the upcoming special economic zones will significantly increase business travel and create a new category of 'super commuters' comprising skilled professionals working across borders daily or weekly. 'The seamless border, competitive tax incentives and infrastructure investments will normalise cross-border work arrangements, making borderless connectivity services essential rather than optional for this emerging professional class,' he said. Even prior to the setting up of the economic zones, the number of Malaysians and Singaporeans crossing each other's borders already provides a captive market for telcos, said Simba Telecom chief technology officer Benjamin Tan. 'The days of rationing roaming data are behind us. Consumers today want to use their mobile devices as freely outside as they do at home,' he said. Shilpa Aggarwal, vice-president of mobile customer solutions at Singtel, also cited the large number of mobile workers between Singapore and Malaysia as a reason for the telco's generous Malaysia roaming data allowance. Gomo, a sub-brand of Singtel, offers a basic 300GB of local data as well as 6GB of roaming data for use in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia for S$15 a month. Soh Wei Sheng, 30, who recently completed his master's degree, subscribes to Simba's 300GB plan as he frequently travels to Malaysia and Indonesia for leisure with his family. 'It is affordable and hassle-free when I travel,' he said. Cinthia Poh, a 41-year-old civil servant, uses Singtel Gomo so she does not have to purchase travel SIM cards any more when she travels to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. She usually buys add-ons when the overseas roaming data is insufficient. Analysts said it is unlikely that the regions covered by these borderless mobile plans will expand, as telcos still need to make money, particularly from roaming fees. Kiranjeet Kaur, associate research director at IDC, said: 'Roaming still forms a significant part of a telco's revenue. Incumbent telcos will still try to retain their consumer base with premium offerings rather than joining the race to the bottom in prices.' - The Straits Times/ANN
Business Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
No need for travel e-SIM or roaming: Singapore telcos offer generous cross-border data bundles
[SINGAPORE] More local telcos are offering 'borderless' mobile plans at record low prices to woo an increasing number of globetrotting consumers. Such plans allow consumers to use a generous bundle of mobile data across borders without paying more, or activating a travel e-SIM or roaming feature. The latest to jump on this trend is M1, whose Maxx plan offers 290GB of data for use in Singapore and Malaysia for a record low of S$7.90 a month. The plan also includes 10GB of mobile data for use in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. This follows the January launch of Simba Telecom's S$10 monthly SuperRoam 10 plan that provides 300GB of 5G data that can be used in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. A separate 12GB of roaming mobile data for seven other Asian destinations is included in the same plan. Singapore's virtual telco started the borderless trend here in September 2023, when it let customers use 100GB across eight Asian destinations (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh). The monthly plan costs S$30 for the first three months, and S$37 after that. Fabian Sossa, vice-president of corporate and global marketing at said: 'The plan is designed for mobile professionals, digital nomads, students, tourists and families with cross-border ties... essentially anyone who needs connectivity across multiple countries without friction.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Since then, other telcos have followed suit. While most of these plans today cover connectivity in Malaysia, others also include popular Asian destinations such as Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A rise in cross-border travel after the Covid-19 pandemic provided the initial impetus. For instance, the number of daily travellers at the Woodlands Checkpoint stood at 327,000 on average in 2024. This is up 22 per cent from the 269,000 in 2023, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Likewise, in 2024, Indonesia received 1.4 million visitors from Singapore, while Singapore received 2.49 million visitors from Indonesia. Singapore is one of the top five source countries for visitors to Indonesia, while Indonesia is the second-largest source country for visitors to Singapore. Experts said the setting up of special trade zones in the region and the upcoming launch of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will further boost demand for such mobile data plans. These special economic zones, which include the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, are meant to boost the flow of goods, services and people across borders, and reduce barriers to trade and investment. The RTS Link will connect Malaysia's second-largest city, Johor Bahru, and Woodlands in Singapore over the Strait of Johor. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Peter Liu, an analyst at Gartner specialising in telecoms, said the upcoming special economic zones will significantly increase business travel and create a new category of 'super commuters' comprising skilled professionals working across borders daily or weekly. 'The seamless border, competitive tax incentives and infrastructure investments will normalise cross-border work arrangements, making borderless connectivity services essential rather than optional for this emerging professional class,' he said. Even prior to the setting up of the economic zones, the number of Malaysians and Singaporeans crossing each other's borders already provides a captive market for telcos, said Simba Telecom chief technology officer Benjamin Tan. 'The days of rationing roaming data are behind us. Consumers today want to use their mobile devices as freely outside as they do at home,' he said. Shilpa Aggarwal, vice-president of mobile customer solutions at Singtel, also cited the large number of mobile workers between Singapore and Malaysia as a reason for the telco's generous Malaysia roaming data allowance. Gomo, a sub-brand of Singtel, offers a basic 300GB of local data as well as 6GB of roaming data for use in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia for S$15 a month. Soh Wei Sheng, 30, who recently completed his master's degree, subscribes to Simba's 300GB plan as he frequently travels to Malaysia and Indonesia for leisure with his family. 'It is affordable and hassle-free when I travel,' he said. Cinthia Poh, a 41-year-old civil servant, uses Singtel Gomo so she does not have to purchase travel SIM cards any more when she travels to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. She usually buys add-ons when the overseas roaming data is insufficient. Analysts said it is unlikely that the regions covered by these borderless mobile plans will expand, as telcos still need to make money, particularly from roaming fees. Kiranjeet Kaur, associate research director at IDC, said: 'Roaming still forms a significant part of a telco's revenue. Incumbent telcos will still try to retain their consumer base with premium offerings rather than joining the race to the bottom in prices.' THE STRAITS TIMES
Straits Times
15-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
More telcos in Singapore offering ‘borderless' mobile plans to woo globetrotters
A rise in cross-border travel after the Covid-19 pandemic provided the initial impetus for 'borderless' mobile plans. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE – More local telcos are offering 'borderless' mobile plans at record low prices to woo an increasing number of globetrotting consumers. Such plans allow consumers to use a generous bundle of mobile data across borders without paying more, or activating a travel e-SIM or roaming feature. The latest to jump on this trend is M1, whose Maxx plan offers 290GB of data for use in Singapore and Malaysia for a record low of $7.90 a month. The plan also includes 10GB of mobile data for use in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. This follows the January launch of Simba Telecom's $10 monthly SuperRoam 10 plan that provides 300GB of 5G data that can be used in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. A separate 12GB of roaming mobile data for seven other Asian destinations is included in the same plan. Singapore's virtual telco started the borderless trend here in September 2023, when it let customers use 100GB across eight Asian destinations (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh). The monthly plan costs $30 for the first three months, and $37 after that. Mr Fabian Sossa, vice-president of corporate and global marketing at said: 'The plan is designed for mobile professionals, digital nomads, students, tourists and families with cross-border ties... essentially anyone who needs connectivity across multiple countries without friction.' Since then, other telcos have followed suit. While most of these plans today cover connectivity in Malaysia, others also include popular Asian destinations like Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A rise in cross-border travel after the Covid-19 pandemic provided the initial impetus. For instance, the number of daily travellers at the Woodlands Checkpoint stood at 327,000 on average in 2024. This is up 22 per cent from the 269,000 in 2023, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Likewise, in 2024, Indonesia received 1.4 million visitors from Singapore, while Singapore received 2.49 million visitors from Indonesia. Singapore is one of the top five source countries for visitors to Indonesia, while Indonesia is the second-largest source country for visitors to Singapore. Experts said the setting up of special trade zones in the region and the upcoming launch of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will further boost demand for such mobile data plans. These special economic zones, which include the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, are meant to boost the flow of goods, services and people across borders, and reduce barriers to trade and investment. The RTS Link will connect Malaysia's second-largest city, Johor Bahru, and Woodlands in Singapore over the Strait of Johor. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Mr Peter Liu, an analyst at Gartner specialising in telecoms, said the upcoming special economic zones will significantly increase business travel and create a new category of 'super commuters' comprising skilled professionals working across borders daily or weekly. 'The seamless border, competitive tax incentives and infrastructure investments will normalise cross-border work arrangements, making borderless connectivity services essential rather than optional for this emerging professional class,' he said. Even prior to the setting up of the economic zones, the number of Malaysians and Singaporeans crossing each other's borders already provides a captive market for telcos, said Simba Telecom chief technology officer Benjamin Tan. 'The days of rationing roaming data are behind us. Consumers today want to use their mobile devices as freely outside as they do at home,' he said. Ms Shilpa Aggarwal, vice-president of mobile customer solutions at Singtel, also cited the large number of mobile workers between Singapore and Malaysia as a reason for the telco's generous Malaysia roaming data allowance. Gomo, a sub-brand of Singtel, offers a basic 300GB of local data as well as 6GB of roaming data for use in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia for $15 a month. Mr Soh Wei Sheng, 30, who recently completed his master's degree, subscribes to Simba's 300GB plan as he frequently travels to Malaysia and Indonesia for leisure with his family. 'It is affordable and hassle-free when I travel ,' he said. Ms Cinthia Poh, a 41-year-old civil servant, uses Singtel Gomo so she does not have to purchase travel SIM cards any more when she travels to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. She usually buys add-ons when the overseas roaming data is insufficient. Analysts said it is unlikely that the regions covered by these borderless mobile plans will expand, as telcos still need to make money, particularly from roaming fees. Ms Kiranjeet Kaur, associate research director at IDC, said: 'Roaming still forms a significant part of a telco's revenue. Incumbent telcos will still try to retain their consumer base with premium offerings rather than joining the race to the bottom in prices.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
