SingTel’s mio TV, which is celebrating its fifth birthday, has signed an agreement with FOX International Channels (FIC) that adds 40 channels to its service.

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Through the new pact, mio TV gains FIC channels such as the English-language FOX HD, FX HD, National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild. The Chinese-language channels Channel [V] Taiwan, tvN HD and STAR Chinese Movies are also part of the deal. There are a host of other offerings from FIC joining the platform as well, among them the Indian networks Vijay and STAR Life OK and the children’s service BabyTV HD.

Goh Seow Eng, the managing director of television at SingTel, said, “We are thrilled with this ground-breaking deal as the addition of these FIC channels really takes the entire mio TV experience to a whole new exciting level. Customers love our world-class sports and latest on-demand content, ordered from the comfort of their sofas, but they also want the relaxing option of channel surfing and discovering new shows.

“With these new channels, our customers will enjoy a top-notch combination of both linear and on-demand entertainment to meet their needs. True to mio TV’s promise, we are also providing many of these channels in brilliant HD at no extra charge.”

Eng continued, “We will ensure little or no disruption to customers. Existing channels will be available at their new and old channel numbers until end October to give customers time to adjust. All channels have also been organized by genre so viewers can conveniently use their remote control to scan easily for the most immersive experience.

“There is no change in pricing for existing customers unless they choose to upgrade their entertainment options with the new channels. When they explore our new packages, we are confident that they will be delighted by how well these value-for-money packages serve the entire household.”

The 3 telcos has been catching up with one another in delivering the fastest broadband speeds. Although M1 was late to introduce the service, they are the first to introduce it country wide this September 15.

M1′s LTE speed will range from 6.9Mbps to 17.4Mbps and will cover 95% of the including both outdoor and indoor locations.

New smartphone and mobile broadband service plans

M1 also announced that it will introduce new smartphone and mobile broadband service plans, in conjunction with its 4G service launch.

New M1 Smartphone Service Plans

New M1 Mobile Broadband Service Plans

With the new data bundles starting from 2GB per month, the majority of customers will not incur higher charges. 78% of smartphone users consume less than 2GB of mobile data per month and 93% less than 5GB of mobile data per month. For customers who use beyond bundled allowances, excess data will be priced at an affordable $5.35 per GB.

Furthermore, re-contracting M1 customers will be given an additional 1GB of complimentary data bundle on the new smartphone and mobile broadband plans.

M1’s new smartphone and mobile broadband service plans will be made available to all new and re-contracting customers from 15 September 2012.

At launch, 4G devices that will be available include handsets: Samsung GALAXY Note LTE, Samsung GALAXY SII LTE, HTC One XL and LG Optimus True HD LTE; tablets: ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TL and Samsung GALAXY Tab 8.9 LTE; USB modem: Huawei E392, and mobile Wi-Fi modem: Huawei E589.

Live Demonstration

Customers can experience live demonstration of the amazing 4G service at M1’s flagship shop at Paragon from 6 September 2012. At the Live 4G demo-zone, customers will be able to test out new 4G handsets and tablets on M1’s 4G network, and experience first-hand, the next generation mobile experience.

For more information on M1’s amazing 4G network and services, please visit www.m1.com.sg/4G.

SingTel on the other hand was launched in June and will only cover 80% by year end and 95% by 1Q 2013. Starhub is expected to roll out LTE by year end.

Both telco uses LTE that runs on 1,800MHz and 2.600MHz frequencies. Customers who buy 4G devices do take note that it must support these spectrums otherwise it can’t take advantage of LTE.

Phones and tablet that will work are Samsung Galaxy Note LTE, Samsung Galaxy SII LTE, HTC One XL and LG Optimus True HD LTE phones, as well as the Asus Transformer Pad TF300TL and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE tablets. Unfortunately the Apple new iPad won’t run in LTE mod as it supports the 700MHz and 2100MHz spectrums.

The three Singapore telcos, M1, Starhub and Singtel has already announced their price plans for the new Apple iPhone 4S that goes on sale on 28 OCT 2011.

We have consolidated the various price plans into this chart for your easy reference. So, which telco give you the best deal? Let’s analyse it for you.

If you are on a budget constraint and wants the latest gadget at minimum cost, the M1 plan seems to be the cheapest among the three telcos. At S$36 a month, you get the same amount of local outgoing minutes. Other than the iPhone 4S 16G is $7 more expensive than the two other telcos, the 32GB and 64GB model are relatively cheaper than Singtel and Starhub.

What about the S$56-$59.90 range plans ? For this plan, M1 again is the cheapest in terms of per month subscription.  Data bundle are all 12 GB. SMS doesn’t really matter as you can use Whatsapp or imessaging  on iOS.  Other than it’s pricing of iPhone 4S 32GB which is more expensive than Singtel, both Starhub and Singtel can’t match M1′s pricing.

As for the $98-$99.99 range, M1 again seems to edge out the two competitors. It has unlimited data bundle. So, you can use this plan to replace your broadband if the HSPA speeds are good at your location. With unlimited data, you can make SKYPE calls, download videos without worry. M1 is also generous to provide 700 minutes of outgoing calls. The price for it’s 4S 32GB is also cheapest of all. As for iPhone 4S 64GB, Singtel is $2 cheaper but you pay $2 more monthly for the subscription.

Now, the highest plans. M1 again is cheapest at S$198. Singtel and Starhub both has 2000 minutes and 2000 SMS bundled in. M1 on the other hand gives you unlimited incoming calls. Data is both unlimited on M1 and Starhub but capped at 30GB for Singtel. You don’t have to pay upfront for iPhone 4S 16GB and 32GB models. As for iPhone 4S 64GB model, Singtel is $7 dollars cheaper than M1 at S$115 and Starhub at S$128.

Before you decide on which operator and plan to take. It is important to know some of the perks that are available on the various networks. Among the 3, Singtel and Starhub both has 3G video streaming from their pay tv service. M1 on the other hand lacks out this feature.

Secondly, Singtel so far has the widest coverage and signal shouldn’t be an issue in most parts of the country. The other two operators do have good signals in prominent towns and in city area. 3G signal coverage is not as far reach as Singtel.

Thirdly, you have to consider the network. If you use the data bundle for serving internet, which one gives you a better experience in terms of speed and loading?

Fourthly, if you travel often, you might want to check who are their roaming partners. Certain roaming partners offer better roaming rates if you log into their network when overseas.

So, good luck and enjoy your new iPhone 4S. Any comments, please post them at this link http://forums.ocworkbench.com/showthread.php?p=488156#post488156

Comment at the end of the post.

Singtel’s iPhone 4S Pricing

SingTel on Tuesday announced pricing plans for Apple’s iPhone 4S, which will be on sale here from Oct 28.

The telco said the iPhone 4S will be available starting at $0 for the 16GB model, $0 for the 32GB model, and $108 for the 64GB model under the iFlexi Premium plan. The phone will be available from SingTel’s retail and online stores.

SingTel customers may book an appointment from Oct 26 onwards to pick up their iPhone 4S, at a specially-organised launch event at Suntec Convention Hall 402 from 12.01am to 10pm on Friday, Oct 28.

Singtel is the 2nd telco to announce the pricing after M1 which offers a more competitive package.

SINGAPORE – October 25, 2011 – Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) today announced it will offer iPhone 4S to customers in Singapore on October 28.  iPhone 4S will be available starting at $0 for the 16GB model, $0 for the 32GB model and $108 for the 64GB model from SingTel retail stores and online at www.singtelshop.com/iphone.

“SingTel is thrilled to bring iPhone 4S and its amazing new capabilities to Singapore,” said Mr. Yuen Kuan Moon, executive vice president, Digital Consumer, SingTel. “With our award-winning network and plans that offer compelling value and flexibility, our customers will be able to make the most of the superb features of iPhone4S.”

SingTel has organized a special launch event for iPhone 4S on Friday, October 28 at Suntec Convention Hall 402 from 12:01am to 10:00pm. Beginning October 26, customers may book an appointment online to pick up their iPhone 4S on October 28. SingTel customers will soon be able to pre-order iPhone 4S online and enjoy free delivery beginning October 28.
Full pricing and details for iPhone in Singapore:

How to hook up to the Fibre Broadband powered by OpenNet
Bluetooth 3 Sep 2010

Most readers would be familiar with hooking onto the ADSL or Cable broadband. When it comes to the new Fibre Broadband, many are still pondering on what equipment is required to get up to speed.

One thing for sure, your existing ADSL or Cable Modem would no longer be required. If you own a Wireless Router or any networking devices, these devices will still function just as it is for switched ports at home or at work. In our example, we will reference the M1 broadband which should be similar to what other operators provide.

Before you sign up with any Retail Service provider (RSP), you should already have the Opennet box installed at your premises. This box is also known as the Termination Point (TP). You can check at http://rollout.opennet.com.sg on when your estate will be wired up.

If you have that installed by OpenNet, you can now choose the RSP and plan you would like to sign up for. Once that is done, Nucleus Connect, the OpCo will install a box as shown in the picture below (left hand side). This box is known as the Optical network Terminal (ONT). This box has 4 ports which will 1 port will be provisioned for service. The ONT will be connected to the Termination Point via a optical fire patch cable.

 
More

Yesterday, Starhub announced their price plans for their Fibre Broadband Plans. They announced 7 different plans for end consumers, 4 normal plans and 3 Hubber plans with Starhub TV.

To our surprise, Starhub did not have any low speed plans e.g. 25Mbps or 50Mbps plan. The lowest speed is already 100Mbps/50Mbps at $68.27. Lowering the tier plans would probably affect their cable price plans too. That is probably the reason why they start off from 100Mbps instead.

Other plans include a 150Mbps, 200Mbps and 1 Gbps plan at $82.18, $102,93 and $395.90 (no discount rate). Although it is more pricey, they throw in a 2Mbps mobile broadband, free fixed line,  free 10 music DRM download. A slightly more expensive plan includes the 3 basic groups of PAY TV with discounts for hubstation hd rental and upsize groups.

 Singtel does not have low speed plans  (<100Mbps) but focus more on bundling tv and video services to their plans. Their plans starts from 150Mbps priced at S$85.90 which is similar to Starhub’s 100Mbps cable broadband plan. M1 will offer a 3-month free trial of the fibre broadband service at 100Mbps to residential customers whose homes are ready for service. Customers can sign up for the free trial only on 1 September at any M1 Shop.

The other plans offer a speed of 200Mbps which are quite similar as they’re bundled with tv and video services. Prices range from $95.90 to $109.90. If you are a football fan, the exPlore Home Sports Package might interest you. Of course, you would also get some discount with your singtel mobile line.

M1, the new comer has more variety ranging from 25Mbps to 1Gbps. 1Gbps would be too costly at S$399 per month. The more affordable plans would be the 25Mbps at S$39, 50Mbps at S$49 and 100Mbps at S$59. Just like Singtel, M1 also offer a Fixed Line thrown in for free incoming and outgoing calls.

Starhub has yet to offer their pricing structure. LGA telecoms has revealed on straits times that they do have a S$50 for 50Mbps plan in line. The other operator SuperInternet is prepared but yet to reveal pricing information of their services.

We have consolidated a chart which comprises of the existing data we gathered from various press releases and news over the internet for your easy reference.

Update : New chart included Starhub consumer plans can be read here.

Today, 3 telcos announced their Fibre broadband plans which runs on the Opennet fibre to the home infrastructure. With new telcos jumping onto the bandwagon, prices will be pushed down for end consumers.

So far, Singtel is the first to release it’s price plans and M1 followed just hours ago. Singtel does not have low speed plans  (<100Mbps) but focus more on bundling tv and video services to their plans. Their plans starts from 150Mbps priced at S$85.90 which is similar to Starhub’s 100Mbps cable broadband plan. M1 will offer a 3-month free trial of the fibre broadband service at 100Mbps to residential customers whose homes are ready for service. Customers can sign up for the free trial only on 1 September at any M1 Shop.

The other plans offer a speed of 200Mbps which are quite similar as they’re bundled with tv and video services. Prices range from $95.90 to $109.90. If you are a football fan, the exPlore Home Sports Package might interest you. Of course, you would also get some discount with your singtel mobile line.

M1, the new comer has more variety ranging from 25Mbps to 1Gbps. 1Gbps would be too costly at S$399 per month. The more affordable plans would be the 25Mbps at S$39, 50Mbps at S$49 and 100Mbps at S$59. Just like Singtel, M1 also offer a Fixed Line thrown in for free incoming and outgoing calls.

Starhub has yet to offer their pricing structure. LGA telecoms has revealed on straits times that they do have a S$50 for 50Mbps plan in line. The other operator SuperInternet is prepared but yet to reveal pricing information of their services.

We have consolidated a chart which comprises of the existing data we gathered from various press releases and news over the internet for your easy reference.

M1 offers free trial and Singapore’s first

1Gbps plan on the new national fibre network

A range of other competitive tariff plans for high speed

services also available for homes and businesses

SINGAPORE, 31 August 2010 – M1 will launch its high-speed fibre broadband service with speeds of up to 1Gbps and fixed voice service on 1 September 2010. A range of new tariff plans, including Singapore’s first 1Gbps plan for homes and businesses will be available.

Four new broadband plans for residential customers with downlink speeds of 1Gbps, 100Mbps, 50Mbps and 25Mbps will be offered on the new fibre network. They will also provide maximum uplink speeds of up to 500Mbps to ensure the best streaming and gaming experience for customers.

These plans cost from S$39 per month for 25Mbps to S$399 per month for 1Gbps. The 100Mbps plan, at $59 per month, is the lowest in the market. Students who sign up for any M1 mobile plan will enjoy a special subscription rate of only S$39 for the 100Mbps broadband plan.

Residential broadband customers also have the option of signing up for free incoming and outgoing calls on M1 Fixed Voice, which is M1’s new fixed line service.

To mark the launch, M1 will offer a 3-month free trial of the fibre broadband service at 100Mbps to residential customers whose homes are ready for service. Customers can sign up for the free trial only on 1 September at any M1 Shop.

Residential customers whose homes are ready for service can sign up for the broadband and fixed voice services from 2 September at any M1 Shop.

For corporate customers, M1 will offer complete business solutions with customized offerings on the fibre network, including fixed voice, IP Centrex and managed services. A range of corporate plans with speeds from 10Mbps to 1Gbps based on GPON and Active Ethernet technology will be offered. Corporate customers can call 6655 5588 or contact their M1 account managers for the range of available services and plans.

To check the fibre readiness status of their homes or businesses, customers should go to www.opennet.com.sg

“M1 has been gearing up for the launch of the fibre network which will open up a new world of innovative applications and rich content for homes and businesses. We are now ready to offer an enriched broadband experience at ultra high speeds to our customers and at the most competitive prices,” said Ms Karen Kooi, M1’s Chief Executive Officer.

“Our customers are invited to sign up for the free trial on 1 September to experience first-hand our services on the new fibre network,” she added.

Student Benefits :

^ To enjoy the benefit, customer is required to show a valid student pass and sign up or

recontract a mobile line.

* All prices inclusive of 7% GST

M1, Singapore’s most exciting and innovative integrated communications service provider, was launched in April 1997. It provides a full range of voice and data as well as fixed and mobile broadband services. M1 aims to be the leader in the communications business, focusing on value, quality and customer service. More information on M1 is available at www.m1.com.sg

From 1 September 2010, customers can register their interest for the high-speed fibre services at www.singtel.com/exstream.

Businesses to exploit full potential of Managed Services and Cloud Solutions

SingTel will introduce eVolve, a new fibre solution for businesses. Built on SingTel’s wholly owned and managed infrastructure, eVolve will only carry business traffic for quality and performance that businesses rely on. eVolve complements SingTel’s existing suite of fibre services, providing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with unprecedented price performance.

Businesses can leverage SingTel’s high-speed fibre services 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.

SingTel’s Cloud Solutions include on-demand computing services and productivity software such as SingTel ONEOffice, online storage and real-time back-up capabilities, and high quality video and data collaboration services.  These services offer the benefits of ICT on a subscription basis, without heavy upfront investments in infrastructure.

With SingTel as their trusted business partner, businesses can have peace of mind and enjoy a one-stop ICT experience.

SingTel To Offer TV Apps Store
Singapore – Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) is pleased to announce today that it will be offering a comprehensive suite of affordable consumer and business applications on its high-speed fibre services to retail customers. SingTel will also offer carriage-based high-speed fibre services on a wholesale basis to retail service providers (RSPs).

SingTel harnesses capabilities of NGNBN and its own fibre networks

Leveraging the Next Generation National Broadband Network (NGNBN) deployed by OpenNet and SingTel’s own extensive fibre infrastructure, SingTel will provide unparalleled service quality and speeds to both retail customers and wholesale to RSPs. Customers can look forward to a range of high-speed fibre services with downlink speeds of up to 200Mbps, uplink speeds of up to 100Mbps and international bandwidth of up to 25Mbps. SingTel’s fibre network is scalable and capable of providing even higher speeds in the future to meet the needs of our retail and wholesale customers.

Mr Allen Lew, CEO Singapore, SingTel, said: “The availability of an ultra high-speed fibre network through the NGNBN and our own fibre infrastructure presents SingTel with significant opportunities to break new grounds in terms of service innovation and value creation. We will leverage our reputation of a reliable network operator, astute customer insights and an effective partner ecosystem to deliver personalised customer-centric applications, which will pique the imagination of consumers and increase the productivity of businesses.

“These distinctive applications which focus on entertainment, convergence and productivity enhancement will ensure that SingTel continues to not only lead but shape the digital media and ICT market in Singapore.”

In the retail space, SingTel will also further its transformation into a leading multimedia and ICT services provider, with a suite of breakthrough services for its consumer and business customers to be introduced later in September this year.

Consumers stay connected and entertained 24/7

SingTel will launch a high-speed fibre service, known as exStream, with downlink speeds of up to 200Mbps. Customers can choose from three new packages which are designed with relevant applications, and with consumers’ needs in mind to enhance their lifestyles at work, at home and at play.

With the exPress portal, customers can freely express their personalities as well as stay closer to their loved ones anytime, anywhere. They will enjoy features like unified messaging, online storage and sharing of multimedia content and high quality multi-party video chat.

With unified messaging, customers have single access to multiple social networking sites and enjoy chat aggregation. They can customise their exPress homescreen for easy access to their favourite multimedia content like news, videos, music etc – all on 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. The Store is based on an open TV platform enabling developers to easily create exciting applications. A gesture-based remote control and predictive text searches in English and Chinese offer easier navigation.

With exCite Home and exPlore Home bundled plans, customers will be the first in Singapore to watch pay TV programmes through fibre, while enjoying the benefits of the high-speed fibre services like the exPress portal. exPlore Home Sports also combines the best of mio TV Sports package, including the interactive applications with the high-speed fibre access as an integrated plan.

From 1 September 2010, customers can register their interest for the high-speed fibre services at www.singtel.com/exstream.

Businesses to exploit full potential of Managed Services and Cloud Solutions

SingTel will introduce eVolve, a new fibre solution for businesses. Built on SingTel’s wholly owned and managed infrastructure, eVolve will only carry business traffic for quality and performance that businesses rely on. eVolve complements SingTel’s existing suite of fibre services, providing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with unprecedented price performance.

Businesses can leverage SingTel’s high-speed fibre services 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.

SingTel’s Cloud Solutions include on-demand computing services and productivity software such as SingTel ONEOffice, online storage and real-time back-up capabilities, and high quality video and data collaboration services. These services offer the benefits of ICT on a subscription basis, without heavy upfront investments in infrastructure.

With SingTel as their trusted business partner, businesses can have peace of mind and enjoy a one-stop ICT experience.

M1 sent us a note confirming that M1 will also be selling the iPhone 4 on 30 Jul 2010. So, all 3 telcos in Singapore will start retailing the iPhone 4 on the same day. It now remains to be seen which telco gives the deal.

Here is the mailer we receive.

Thank you for registering your interest in iPhone 4.

Please click here to fill up a simple form and submit it by 25 July.

And look out for updates in your email inbox soon.