Singapore telco tweaks mobile plans to defend market share
TELCO StarHub has streamlined its mobile plans from 10 to three, offering large data bundles in an attempt to defend its market share which may be under threat with TPG Telecom’s imminent entry.
The product overhaul is StarHub’s first since its new chief executive Peter Kaliaropoulos took the helm in July this year.
From December 6, the telco will only be selling three new SIM-only mobile plans:
l $25 Singapore dollars (Bt600) a month for 13GB of mobile data and 100 minutes of local talk-time;
l S$50 a month for 40GB of mobile data and 300 minutes of local talk-time; and
l S$80 a month for 70GB of mobile data and 500 minutes of local talk-time.
These plans comprise 10GB of bonus data, which will expire after the first 12 months after signing up.
In comparison, consumers now paying S$50 a month are only getting 8GB of mobile data, with unlimited talk-time and unlimited weekend data.
All current plans at StarHub will be scrapped from December 6. Current subscribers will retain their existing plan.
Rival Circles.Life, a mobile virtual network operator, currently offers 26GB of mobile data and 100 minutes of talk-time for S$48 a month.
In a statement on December 5, StarHub chief of consumer business group Johan Buse said: “We hate to admit it, but people do not rate telcos highly. This is a regrettable reality, and we are determined to earn back customers’ trust and be the telco that they deserve.”
Buse was referring to the incumbent telcos being seen as slow in innovating to meet consumer needs.
One common complaint is that the telcos’ complicated plans have consumers jumping through hoops to figure them out. Buse said that the mobile plan overhaul is just the beginning, with more product revamps to come.
With the revamp, caller number display and international roaming add-ons will be free by default for the first time for customers not on contract.