StarHub and M1 are said to be revisiting talks about merging their operations, as reported by TMT Finance, drawing from five well-informed sources. These telecommunications giants are considering the possibility of joining forces once again.
Insiders reveal that StarHub, backed by ST Telemedia, is in discussions with a prominent US bank to evaluate the potential merger’s feasibility. However, it’s uncertain if M1, supported by Keppel, is pursuing similar avenues with a financial institution. All discussions are in the early stages.
In April 2023, reports emerged of the two companies collaborating on a network optimization deal, potentially involving active network sharing. This might take the form of an MOCN deployment, a common practice among operators overseas, pending approval.
Although IMDA has approved their joint venture for the 5G n78 band, sharing the 4G band could elevate their total bandwidth across bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 38, and n78 to rival or even surpass Singtel’s. In many countries, surplus bandwidth is returned to the authority for redistribution or auctioning.