ASIA : Mobile users in Singapore will be able to enjoy a true mobile broadband experience as StarHub introduces the fastest two-way HSPA service nationwide, the first operator to do so in Southeast Asia.

Often called 3.5G, StarHub consumer and corporate customers will now be able to experience high-speed access in Singapore of up to 7.2Mbps downlink and up to 1.9Mbps uplink with the use of HSDPA and HSUPA technologies respectively. These specifications far exceed 3G services currently available in the Singapore market. No other operator in Singapore currently offers HSUPA.

“With the introduction of our two-way high-speed service, we will now be able to deliver better user experience for consumers and businesses,” said Mr Anil Nihalani, Vice President of StarHub's Mobile Services. “What makes the difference is that the service will allow both the downloading and uploading of large files, such as email attachments in a considerably shorter time than on 2.5G or 3G platforms, helping mobile data users focus their time more on the content and less on the waiting. Over the next few days and weeks, StarHub will be actively introducing new mobile content and services that will benefit from the enhanced user experience, including mobile TV. Specifically, StarHub will be bringing the excitement of Barclay’s Premier League to its 3G and 3.5G mobile platform very soon.”

Continued Mr Nihalani, “We have architected our 3.5G network to be capable of the full HSDPA specification of 14.4Mbps downlink. While actual performance on the HSPA network will depend on many factors, including terminal capability and the applications used, the higher capability of our network provides us greater capacity, so more users can be supported at higher speeds compared to other offerings in Singapore. When it comes to broadband, StarHub believes that the right product for the home is MaxOnline, while the 3.5G network is better suited for out-of-home use.” 

Huawei Technologies was appointed in February 2007 to provide and upgrade StarHub's 3G mobile network to full two-way HSPA.

MaxMobile Mobile Data Plans

As StarHub launches its 3.5G service on 4 August 2007, the company will also introduce a new pricing structure that is applicable to all its mobile data customers – whether they use HSPA, 3G or 2.5G GPRS. By providing a single set of data plans for all its customers, StarHub will offer a new pricing structure that gives its customers peace of mind and price certainty.

All of StarHub’s mobile data access plans will now be called MaxMobile, a brand name that will act as a mobile complement to StarHub’s MaxOnline cable broadband service. Like MaxOnline, MaxMobile will offer Singaporeans the highest speeds in the market with simple ‘peace of mind’ pricing structures.

Three plans will be available to mobile data users - MaxMobile Lite, MaxMobile Value and MaxMobile Unlimited.

All three MaxMobile plans will have a maximum price cap that will help customers manage their mobile data costs, so there will never be a ‘bill shock’ from high data usage for our customers:

• MaxMobile Lite is a ‘pay as you use’ plan at S$0.01/Kb with no minimum spend, but the maximum cost to the customer is $88 per month regardless of the amount of data usage.
• MaxMobile Value gives S$20 worth of data usage at S$5/month (the usual price is S$10/month) and thereafter at S$0.0032/Kb. Once again, the total monthly spend is capped at $88 regardless of data usage, making this truly unlimited.
• MaxMobile Unlimited subscribers will pay a flat fee of S$68/month, making the MaxMobile Unlimited data package the best value amongst all mobile operators in Singapore, in terms of both subscription plans and mobile access speeds.  Again, unlike other operators in Singapore, MaxMobile Unlimited is truly unlimited, with no cap on data usage at all.

In addition, for the first time in Singapore, StarHub post-paid mobile customers will be able to surf its Gee! and i-mode portals for free, giving customers the ability to browse without incurring data charges. When downloading content, customers pay a fixed price for items they choose to purchase such as ringtones, video and music clips, wallpaper, games, or information requests such as a cable TV programme guide, 4D and Toto results, or flight details, with no hidden data charges. Once again, this is part of StarHub’s commitment to worry-free and fair pricing.

All these reflect StarHub’s ‘peace of mind’ pricing philosophy. A summary of the above plans can be found in Appendix A.

The MaxMobile plans will replace all current Gee! data plans for StarHub’s 2G and 3G data customers. By 4 August 2007, all 3G customers will be ‘3.5G-ready’ and need to purchase only a 3.5G-capable device to enjoy the benefits of StarHub’s 3.5G HSPA services.

Mr Nihalani commented on the HSPA service and the new data plans, saying, “It’s about peace of mind pricing. It’s about a better experience using a higher performing uplink and downlink service. StarHub’s customers can now experience true mobile broadband speeds and have peace of mind knowing that they are protected by a price cap on data charges. Across the board, customers on all our plans can have the freedom of truly unlimited data usage and certainty of pricing. 2007 is set to be a breakthrough year for StarHub’s mobile data users in Singapore!”

An array of special introductory offers for consumers and businesses will be announced in the weeks ahead.