Tag: Singtel

Singapore – As part of its commitment to promote and support sports in Singapore, telecommunications company Singtel has renewed its partnership with the Singapore National Olympic Council, increasing its sponsorship over the next five years, its biggest sponsorship for sports to date.

Singtel’s new five-year partnership with SNOC aims to support Team Singapore in upcoming major sporting events such as the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. Singtel will provide S$1.5 million in funding and also sponsor S$200,000 worth of mobile roaming services for Team Singapore contingents.

Being a major corporate partner of Team Singapore, Singtel has supported athletes in achieving their goal of competing for Singapore in major games including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Singtel’s S$2.5 million sponsorship over the last ten years has helped fund various SNOC programmes, offset the contingents’ travelling expenses and enabled them to stay connected while competing overseas. 

Shanti Pereira, one of Singtel’s 2023 partner athletes, said, “As an athlete, it is very encouraging to receive support to enable me to train and compete while representing Singapore. I would like to thank Singtel for their support and for continuing to help Team Singapore to achieve our sporting aspirations.”

Talking about the renewed partnership, Chris Chan, secretary-general of the Singapore National Olympic Council commented, “Singtel has been an unwavering partner of Singapore’s Olympic Movement, the SNOC and of Singapore sports for more than a decade, at our side through triumph and adversity. We are grateful to Singtel for this steadfast support without which many of our athletes’ dreams would not have been possible, and we look forward to celebrating many more Team Singapore milestones with Singtel.”

Meanwhile, Yuen Kuan Moon, group CEO of Singtel, said, “Singtel is delighted to continue our longstanding partnership with SNOC and Team Singapore to support our local athletes as they pursue their sporting dreams and display their talents on the world stage. They are a great inspiration to Singaporeans and show us that with a passion for excellence, determination and resilience, nothing is impossible.”

Singapore – Singtel has launched a short film titled “From Mudflats to Smart Nation” to celebrate Singapore’s 58th National Day.

The 23-minute documentary celebrates the nation’s growth and success as a global economic hub and pays tribute to the 100th birth anniversary of Singapore’s founding prime minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.

The film delves into Mr. Lee’s visionary ideas for the nation and commemorates his famous quote from 1965, where he envisioned transforming Singapore from humble mudflats into a thriving metropolis.

Mr. Yuen Kuan Moon, Singtel Group CEO, expressed his delight in supporting Singapore’s development over the decades, from pioneering satellite services and laying the first submarine cable to providing fiber and internet access to every household.

Further, Moon emphasized the critical role of telecoms and technology in ensuring better lives and livelihoods, especially evident during the recent global pandemic.

In a statement from Ms. Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president of strategic communications and brand, she highlighted how Singapore’s economic success is intertwined with its clever use of telecoms and technology, allowing the city-state to leapfrog ahead of competitors and give its citizens a head start in nation-building.

Meanwhile, the film’s release is a crucial moment for Singapore, reflecting its growth and the pivotal role of technology in shaping its identity as a Smart Nation. 

Seoul, Korea – Telco companies SK Telecom (SKT), Deutsche Telekom, e&, and Singtel have united to establish the Global Telco AI Alliance, aiming to propel the telecommunications industry into a new era of AI-driven transformation and improved customer experience.

The alliance, marked by a Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony in Seoul, signifies a strategic commitment to collaborate and innovate in AI technology.

Ryu Young-Sang, CEO of SKT, expressed his excitement about the alliance, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize business models, provide new value to customers, and drive growth within the global AI ecosystem.

Moreover, the Global Telco AI alliance focuses on jointly developing the telco AI platform, integrating diverse technologies to create advanced AI services for telecom, digital assistants, and super apps with dynamic features for customers.

In a statement, Yuen Kuan Moon, Singtel’s CEO, and Khalifa Al Shamsi, CEO of e& Life, believe AI has vast potential to transform the telecommunication landscape and assured customers that the alliance is committed to fast-tracking innovative AI services for businesses and consumers.

Further, Claudia Nemat, board member technology and innovation at Deutsche Telekom, highlighted the importance of the alliance in bridging the gap between Europe and Asia while pursuing an open-vendor approach, ensuring the utilization of the best technology for specific applications.

Meanwhile, key executives of each company were present in person and online to endorse the historic initiative.

Singapore – Singapore is set to retire its 3G services across its local telcos by July 31, 2024. According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), all three local telcos providing 3G–namely Singtel, StarHub and M1–will all retire their 3G services and make way for the rapid growth of 5G connectivity.

All three telcos aforementioned have released their separate statements detailing the 3G shutdown, and also offering users ways and means to properly move towards 5G connectivity.

3G connectivity was first introduced in the country 20 years ago, and was followed with 4G developments in the mid-2010s and 5G in 2022.

“Overall, close to 99% of Singapore’s mobile subscribers are currently on 4G/5G. As of April 2023, the 3G subscriber base makes up approximately 1% of the total mobile subscriptions and it is on the decline,” IMDA stated.

With Singapore retiring its 3G services, IMDA expects that more spectrum can be released for investment in 5G to provide a better experience for users and support enterprises undergoing digital transformation.

In addition, retailers will also no longer be able to sell 3G mobile phones and/or 4G models requiring 3G for voice calls. This will take effect from 1 February 2024.

“This one-year transition period is given to allow mobile network operators (MNOs) to adequately engage and migrate their remaining 3G subscribers before retiring their 3G services. 3G subscribers should reach out to their respective MNOs for more information and assistance,” IMDA concluded.

Singapore – Singaporean telecommunications company Singtel has been named the world’s sixth strongest telecoms brand in Brand Finance’s Telecoms 150 list, which ranks the most valuable and strongest telecoms brands globally. 

The placing crowns a year of significant achievements for Singtel, seeing it move up three spots globally from the ninth position last year with an improved score of 88.3 out of 100 while retaining its Triple-A rating from last year. 

Brand Finance attributes Singtel’s stronger brand equity to its fast and robust 5G network, consistent customer experience via its website and apps, and value-for-money products and services for both consumers and enterprises. Singtel also scored well for the familiarity of its brand and brand recall. 

According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s latest report on customer handling, Singtel also had the lowest complaint rate for its mobile services among network operators, as well as the lowest complaint rate for fixed broadband services in December 2022.

In terms of brand value, Singtel also grew, climbing up three spots from 40th in 2022 to becoming the world’s 37th most valuable telecoms brand. Brand Finance said this is due to resilient mobile service revenue, the brand’s improved brand strength index and favourable economic factors, such as the lower cost of capital in Singapore.

“Singtel has strengthened its brand leadership significantly in the past year. Its commitment to 5G, consistent customer service and coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has seen it climb the ranks within the global top ten telecoms brands,” said Alex Haigh, Brand Finance’s managing director for Asia Pacific.

Haigh also said that the improved perceptions of Singtel’s 5G capabilities and coverage, good digital offerings, and greater recall of its branding and promotional activities are particularly noteworthy.

Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president of strategic communications and brand, also said, “It’s very encouraging to be roundly recognised for values that really matter to us as a brand – the quality of our 5G leadership, value for money products and services, strong brand and ad recall and high familiarity scores.”

Pek added, “The goal has always been to empower our customers with the best-in-class technology and services. As the digital landscape and customer expectations keep changing, we will continue to invest and innovate to deliver on our value proposition of creating the best digital experiences that our network and services are capable of.”

Last year, Singtel has also been named Singapore’s strongest brand by Brand Finance’s 2022 ranking of the country’s top 100 brands.

Singapore – To showcase its high-speed 5G network, Singaporean telco Singtel held its first-ever 5G-enabled musical performance. The concert was live-streamed from an underground MRT cabin on February 23.

The performance featured local band Sobs, who performed some of their most popular indie rock songs transmitted over Singtel’s social media platforms from 17 metres underground.

The event is part of a larger six-week campaign involving content across various MRT lines and Singtel’s social media channels to drive awareness of Singtel 5G’s capabilities and benefits to consumers from how they communicate, work, and play with technology.

“As the only telco to reach nationwide and underground coverage across the most travelled main MRT lines, we are excited to have commuters experience Singapore’s most powerful and fastest 5G network first-hand,” said Diana Chen, managing director for customer value at Singtel.

She also said that by ensuring ‘high-quality and uninterrupted connectivity’ on trains and stations, Singtel’s consumers are in for an exceptional digital experience. 

“With the Singtel 5G network’s ultra-fast and low latency capabilities, consumers can upload and download content, watch live video streams, or play games in high definition while on the move,” she added.

Singtel is also set to release a series of videos expounding the advantages of Singtel 5G. These will be posted on its YouTube and Facebook pages and will run until the end of March 2023.

Previously, Singtel has also released a Chinese New Year campaign highlighting its commitment to providing prompt and quality service to its customers.

Singapore – Singaporean telecommunications company Singtel has released its new Chinese New Year film that emphasises Singtel’s commitment to providing prompt and quality service to its customers, which serves as a key differentiator of its services.

Titled ‘Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy!’, the sitcom-style short film featured two rival families, who got competitive at first but eventually bonded over the results of Singtel’s quick service. 

“Customer service lies at the heart of the Singtel customer experience and this film underscores our commitment to providing personalised, empathetic and accessible service to our customers,” said Anna Yip, chief executive officer of Consumer Singapore at Singtel.

She also added that Singtel intends to keep investing in its people and processes to deliver quality service that sets them apart from competitors. 

Lian Pek, vice president for group strategic communications and brand at Singtel, also said, “In today’s hyper connected world, technology plays a critical role in connecting people and supporting their digital-first lifestyles. But as played out in our latest festive film, sometimes things don’t go as planned and that’s where a committed service provider makes all the difference.”

Singtel has also previously released its Singapore’s National Day ad titled ‘The Making of a 5G Nation’, which illustrates how its infrastructure and engineering expertise have been vital to the National Day Parade since the 1960s.

Singapore – National telecom Singtel has been named Singapore’s strongest brand by Brand Finance’s 2022 ranking of the country’s top 100 brands. Brand Finance is a brand valuation consultancy that publishes the said report annually.

According to the report, the telco topped the brand strength index with a score of 87.1 out of 100 for its new strategy to reposition for digital growth as well as its sustained efforts in delivering 5G innovation. The score also placed Singtel among the world’s top 10 strongest telecom brands.

Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president for strategic communications and brand, commented they had upped the branding stakes when they raced to deploy nationwide 5G coverage in time for Singapore’s National Day, even though they were three years ahead of time.

“With 25,000 spectators at the National Day Parade getting their first taste of 5G when streaming video live at high speeds, our 5G readiness hit home,” said Pek.

She adds, “We’re glad people are sitting up and noticing our brand promise to create a more sustainable and inclusive digital future for all our stakeholders.”

Announced last May, Singtel’s strategic reset centres around capturing untapped digital growth by leveraging its 5G leadership to reinvigorate its core consumer and enterprise businesses, developing new growth engines in ICT and digital services, and unlocking asset value.

In addition to being the top-ranked, Brand Finance also reported that Singtel retained its AAA brand rating, making it one out of only three companies in Singapore to receive the triple-A rating this year. Singtel also grew its brand value, which is a measure of the brand’s financial strength, by 22% to US$3.9b.

The ‘Singapore Top 100 Brands’ report by Brand Finance determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance.

Singapore – To honour Singapore’s National Day, which is celebrated every 9 August, the telco Singtel has launched a new campaign that illustrates how its telecoms infrastructure and engineering expertise have been vital to the staging of the National Day Parade since the 1960s, through the early days of 3G to a fully 5G nation today.

Titled ‘The Making of a 5G Nation’, the film tells the story of Singtel’s planners and engineers for whom wiring up the Marina Bay floating platform with 5G is a mission they are immensely proud to undertake.

Mark Chong, Singtel’s group chief technology officer, shared that when thousands of people want to live stream and send videos at the same time, from multiple 5G-enabled devices that are concurrently streaming over global online mediums, great demands are placed on their network which will be seriously tested in terms of its power and reliability.

“From our experience supporting this event through the years, and our 5G trials in Sentosa, we’ve picked up important lessons on managing complex technology for an even more memorable experience. It is our privilege to support the Parade every year and we’re excited to bring 5G to everyone this year to commemorate Singapore’s birthday,” said Chong

Meanwhile, Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president of strategic communications and brand, noted that this is the first time they’ve thrown the spotlight on their planners and engineers, the unsung heroes who work quietly behind the scenes, year after year, to pull off one of the most anticipated events in the national calendar.

“This year’s NDP is particularly special for us as a company as we’ve reached nationwide 5G coverage 3 years ahead of time, effectively making Singapore the first country in the world to be fully covered by standalone 5G. The significance of this milestone, and a 5G-enabled live Parade, after a two-year hiatus due to COVID, calls for a celebration with fellow Singaporeans. This is the leap in technology that will help carry Singapore forward as it moves on from the pandemic,” said Pek.

Singtel said that preparations for this year’s National Day Parade started as early as a year ago, with its teams working to enhance capacity and optimise and test 5G mobile coverage to ensure spectators at the event are well supported.

The campaign will be airing on Singtel TV and various social media channels.

Malaysia – Grab and Singtel has announced today that GXS Bank, their digital bank joint venture, and a consortium of Malaysian investors including Kuok Brothers, have been selected to receive a full digital banking licence in Malaysia, subject to meeting all of Bank Negara Malaysia’s regulatory conditions. 

The digital bank to be established is expected to enable local micro-SMEs and other financially underserved segments such as gig economy workers to access a suite of financial services. 

To build the Malaysia digital bank, Pei Si Lai, financial industry veteran and the one appointed to lead the digital bank, will be assembling a team with diverse backgrounds in finance and technology. Over 200 roles are targeted to be filled by launch, including in the areas of product and design, data, technology, risk, and compliance. 

Reuben Lai, senior managing director of Grab Financial Group and board member of the regional digibank JV, said that they will leverage the consortium’s combined strengths including technology expertise, data from highly-engaged consumers, experience in financial services in SEA, as well as deep understanding of the Malaysian market, to redefine the banking experience for underbanked Malaysians. 

 “The Malaysia digital bank consortium is honoured to be given the opportunity to build a next-generation digital bank and drive access to financial services for underbanked Malaysians,” said Lai. 

Meanwhile, Arthur Lang, Singtel’s group chief financial officer and also board member of the regional digibank JV, said, “We are glad to have this opportunity to support Malaysia’s vision of greater financial inclusion for its people. Our consortium partners and ourselves are excited to build a platform that will provide innovative digital banking services for the underbanked as well as the SMEs that are the backbone of the Malaysian economy. This aligns closely with our goal of harnessing technology to empower people across the region, bringing greater options and positive change as we build something special across the region. We aim to spur fintech innovation that will transform the banking experience, making financial services more accessible, relevant and affordable.” 

As CEO designate of the Malaysian digital bank, Lai brings extensive experience and deep customer centricity honed over 25 years in retail banking, wealth management, corporate finance, product and business management, as well as governance, in both local and international markets. Prior to her current role, she was managing director and country head for the consumer, private and business banking of Standard Chartered in Malaysia. 

Lai commented, “The opportunity to build the Malaysian digital bank from the ground up and be at the forefront of the fast-evolving Malaysian fintech landscape is incredibly exciting. Aside from leveraging agile banking technology that will enable us to offer tailored and unique banking experiences for our consumers, my team and I will also tap on the strong support from our shareholders and strategic partners, as well as guidance from Bank Negara Malaysia and the Ministry of Finance, to deliver on our mission to serve and empower underbanked Malaysian communities such as gig workers and small businesses. We will also actively partner with leading industry players to advance the Malaysian financial landscape.” 

The digital bank joint venture between Grab and Singtel was formed in 2020 and selected to be awarded a full digital banking licence in Singapore.