complicated simplicity

Every since M1 introduced the HSDPA dongle last year, mobile broadband has mushroomed in Singapore. Now, Starhub is offering free wireless access on the go for its residential subscribers.

I have had the opportunity to use the M1 service back home (thanks Ridz!) to get work done once in a while, but I mainly stick to Wireless@SG simply because I’m not home most of the year, and it just wasn’t justified to sign up for a HSDPA plan. Internet access on the go is good, but for a workaholic, like me, it very often means we can never leave work in the office. I used to resort to leaving my phone, my laptop and PDA at home to enjoy the weekend (I was forced!).

With the new plan, what will Singtel and M1 do? A saturated market of 80% penetration puts a tough fight for consumers, will Singtel do the same to stem a loss of ‘hoppers’? It’s a (pretty) hefty monthly payment for the HSDPA plan. I hope Singtel offers a free version too! I’m using Singtel at home. What will M1 do? They don’t have a residential plan to piggyback on, and they are losing their edge after the unlimited fiasco that has seen service levels drop. It’s not like they are the only providers of HSDPA dongle anymore.

As we learn in Economics, competition is always good for the consumers. It drives prices to the point of marginal cost! Sorry, getting crazy over my econs module.

Free on-the-go wireless access for StarHub broadband users

STARHUB raised the bar on Friday on Internet deals by giving its home broadband subscribers free wireless access on the go as well.
The first such deal here, it may push rivals SingTel and MobileOne (M1) to roll out more competitive offerings.

New subscribers to StarHub’s MaxOnline cable modem service, which gives them broadband access from home, will now get free access with the mobile wireless MaxMobile service as well.

The home service starts from $59.92 a month, while the on-the-go offering used to cost about $36 a month. With the new deal, users will get a free modem to access the 3.5G wireless service, which gives download speeds of 7.2 megabits per second (Mbps) islandwide.

To log on to, they simply plug in the wireless modem to their laptops while on the go.

The offer is also open to existing MaxOnline subscribers who do not have a contract.

Mr Adit Harinasuta, head of StarHub services and solutions, said it was aimed at getting more users on both services.

The move is likely to provoke a response from rivals SingTel and M1, which have been locked in a fierce fight for customers in a market where broadband penetration is nearly 80 per cent.

However, neither one offers such a bundled deal yet. SingTel sells its asymmetric digital subsciber line (ADSL) service, which uses the phone line to carry data to homes, and its 3.5G on-the-go service separately.

M1, meanwhile, does not have a home broadband service, but offers its 3.5G service as an alternative to SingTel and StarHub.

[via: Straits Times Interactive 2 May 2008]