Oya a MVNO running under M1 started accepting users to sign up for it’s free 1 GB service a few days ago. Oya, being a new player uses a different strategy compared to other MVNOs. Instead of issuing physical SIM cards, customers will install an app and download the profile to their supported iPhone to activate the data only service.
The app is available on the Apple appstore and residents can register using Singpass or Passport screen shot to sign up. Everything is seamless and the eSIM will be installed and act as a secondary line to the iPhone. It comes with 1 GB of data which you can use locally and in Malaysia. There is no expiry date attached. You can top up as and when at 1 GB at S$5 or 5 GB at S$20. The data can be shared between Singapore and Malaysia. As a data only service, there won’t be any mobile number assigned for making calls and SMS.
To use the data, choose the secondary line in control panel.
You can top up 1 GB for S$5 or 5 GB for S$20 using credit/debit card.
As it is a iPhone, unless we access the enginereing mode, there is no direct way to check out the signal strength. As we can see from the speedtest result, Oya runs on M1 network as we mentioned before. It seems that the area the tester wasn’t capable of supporting LTE+, so a score of 41.4 Mbps is quite a normal speed for a 4G network in Singapore.
On the next page, we take a look at data roaming in Malaysia.
[nextpage title=”Data Roaming in Malaysia”]To our surprise, oya actually supports data in Malaysia. Seriously, we cannot say it is data roaming because it requires another eSIM profile for Oya malaysia.
The good news is that, whatever is free (the first 1 GB) and subsequent data that you buy is shared. That is to say, you buy a 5 GB plan for S$20, it can be used in both Singapore and Malaysia anytime anyday without expiry date.
Before you head to Malaysia, you have to enable OYA Malaysia from the app. Once that is done, you are ready to turn off the OYA SG and turn on OYA MY after crossing the causeway.
In Malaysia, the data plan runs on Digi Malaysia. After connection, the phone will be issued a Malaysia IP address. The speed is amazingly fast. A speedtest done in Johor Barhu customs by tester managed to get a fast downlink speed of 114 Mbps. That is even faster than the average 40 Mbps achieved in Singapore. With that speed, doing a facebook live in HD wouldn’t be an issue as it requires a fast upload speed of 34.9 Mbps.
You will never get this kind of speed if you are using a data roam package as it will lock you down to 128 kbps to 256 kbps for data roam users.
An IP address 115.164.25.165 is issued which is a Malaysia IP address.
Oya Singapore has disrupted the SIM only market with a low cost data plan for Singapore and Malaysia. It’s marketed as a data travel SIM with no expiry date. With no subscription and no top up required every six months, the OYA sim only data plan will challenge traditional Prepaid SIM for travelling overseas.
To date, OYA has only made available to Apple users. Although Google Pixel 3/3a/4 phones support eSIM, it is not supported at this stage.
Secondly, the data can only be used in Singapore and Malaysia seems to appeal to those who frequent Malaysia. It will only take up mass sign up if it can provide the same “roaming” with other countries and regions to be viable alternative.
We see great potential in OYA but they really need to pick up speed to make it as the alternative travel SIM of choice.
(Credits : Danie for photos and test results)
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