Channel NewsAsia - Friday, March
21
SINGAPORE: The battle for the postpaid mobile phone market
intensifies.
On Friday, M1 will release its new tariff plans, which promise
consumers, per second billing and other enhanced benefits.
They can choose from its new SunSaver range of plans which are
priced between S$25.68 and S$82.93.
The new plans will replace the SunTalk Plus and SunTalk Plus IDD
range of plans.
And they’ll offer per second billing, which have already been
provided by other service providers, SingTel and StarHub.
But M1 said the SunSaver range also comes with other benefits
which are new to the market.
These include free unlimited local calls to three M1
numbers.
The SunSaver range will also offer bundling of free outgoing
video and voice calls for 100, 300 and 700 minutes respectively
which service provider SingTel currently offers to its 3G
customers.
SunSaver subscribers will also enjoy 500 free SMS or MMS across
all plans in the SunSaver range, which service provider StarHub
offers, but in different quantities and price plans.
And while StarHub offers free IDD calls to 14 destinations in
all plans, except the Power Value range, SunSaver will offer free
IDD calls to 19 destinations, if subscribers top up an extra S$5.35
every month.
Experts said this can only spell better things to come, for the
consumer.
Manoj Menon, Managing Director of Frost & Sullivan, said:
"Consumers can expect two things. One, they can expect better
handsets at lower prices. That is clearly one thing they can
get.
“I think second, they can also potentially get lower monthly
bills over a period of time because now operators will try to
bundle in long distance minutes. So their monthly bill for most
customers could also see some reduction in the mid to
long—term."
M1 said that its current subscribers can opt to switch to the
new SunSaver range, but subject to the terms and conditions of
their existing plans.
StarHub describes M1’s latest range of benefits as basic
elements which it has been providing its customers since its launch
eight years ago.
The company added that it has moved forward to incorporate more
advanced features such as true high—speed mobile data services and
benefits, across multiple platforms such as internet and cable
TV.
It also promises to announce more innovative ideas for its
customers soon. — CNA/vm