Missed call: Have new entrant qualms finally subsided for Singapore’s telco triumvirate?

The “Big 3” has been ringing up hefty profits.

Buzz of a new entrant in Singapore’s seemingly impenetrable telecommunications sector have been reverberating for quite a while now, and it seems like they’re more ring than bite.

According to analysts from UOB Kay Hian, though incumbent telcos are not discounting the potential for a new fourth operator, the risk has since toned down due to numerous difficulties facing aspiring entrants.

UOB Kay Hian says one of the key hurdles facing aspirants is the difficulty in raising funds.

Meanwhile, though it’s a draconian task to get in, it’s certainly a party in Singapore’s telco scene as the sector delivered slightly above average results this quarter.

“While SingTel’s and M1’s results were within our expectations, StarHub exceeded our expectations slightly,” UOB Kay Hian said.

UOB Kay Hian added that while StarHub notably booked lower prepaid mobile revenue, it more than made up for it due to an increased postpaid mobile revenue which grew by 3.5% yoy.