Lower mobile data prices are here to stay, putting top lines under pressure

THE price war on mobile data plans that has broken out among telco service providers was expected once fibre broadband services provider MyRepublic announced its intention to become the fourth telco in Singapore, offering super cheap data plans.

What is surprising, however, is that this price war has started so early in the game. According to the timetable set out by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), bidding for new spectrum will take place in the third quarter of this year. During this exercise, 60 MHz of spectrum will be set aside for a new telco operator at a reserve price. Assuming that MyRepublic is the only company to …