Experts warn of Singtel's possible dethroning from fixed broadband market

But the telco giant is quick to defend itself, saying that its services are "cutting edge".

SingTel currently dominates the corporate fixed broadband market but experts say that it may only be just be a matter of time before we see smaller players like StarHub and M1 snatching larger pieces.

The introduction of the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN) is a significant milestone in the telco industry as it is expected to allow smaller players, like Starhub and M1, to further penetrate the corporate fixed market dominated by SingTel, according to experts. Not to mention, both smaller players are now aggressively offering cheaper pricing.

KimEng analyst Gregory Yap for instance in a latest research note said that at the Comex IT show in September, M1 ran a fibre broadband promotion of $39 per month for a 100Mbps connection.

StarHub’s fibre broadband plan offering up to 50 Mbps surfing speed, meanwhile, costs $56.92 per month.
Singtel’s offerings are quite expensive at $47.90 a month for a 15Mbps fixed broadband plan. Those who wish to get a much faster 50Mbps need to pay $59.90 a month.

Singapore’s largest telco firm SingTel however is quick to say that it remains unshakable by a competition getting more intense. They may have the most costly plan offering, but they claim that their services are cutting edge.

In an e-mail to Singapore Business Review, a spokesperson from SingTel which requested anonymity has said: “SingTel's pricing plans are competitively priced and presents a compelling offer. Beyond providing ultra-high speed internet access, SingTel has developed and bundled exciting multimedia applications that enable them to fully experience and appreciate the benefits of high speed fibre service up to 200Mbps.”

The spokesperson also added: “Based on customer insights, we have developed cutting edge features which include:

• With the exPress portal, customers can enjoy features like unified messaging, online storage and sharing of multimedia content and high quality multi-party video chat - all from a single online web portal.

• With the exCite service, customers can experience the world’s best video search engine allowing customers to find the widest range of online video content and stream them smoothly from sites like YouTube and Tudou. Customers can create their own entertainment channel and experience limitless internet content, right from their TV screen. exCite also gives customers access to Singapore’s first TV Apps Store, starting with a catalogue of over 30 TV games.

• Businesses can also leverage SingTel’s high-speed fibre service, known as eVolve to access its suite of Managed Services and Cloud Solutions. These services open up new possibilities for companies to improve productivity and scale their operations cost effectively to meet changing business demands.”
 

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