More exciting cellphone market ahead

IN SINGAPORE, every person in two has two mobile phones or at least two working phone numbers. That's why the Republic has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world, at over 150 per cent. It would be stating the obvious to say that the cellphone market here is saturated with the three incumbent telcos - Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), StarHub and M1 - sewing up the market.

Can a fourth telecom operator be thrown into the mix?

We are likely to get to know by April, when a measure set in motion around the middle of last year may fructify into a fourth mobile network operator (MNO) entering the fray with disruptive offerings such as unlimited mobile data plans.

Last July, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) announced that it would set aside 60 Megahertz (MHz) of spectrum for a new MNO, when it auctions 225 MHz of new spectrum early this year. Some reports indicate that the auction could occur in time for a potential fourth telco starting to build its network from April - provided, of course, that a new entrant steps up to the…