Telcos face new rivals, old problems

There might be smaller players entering the market and eyeing their turf, and the road to monetising data remains a long one

Published Mon, Dec 22, 2014 · 09:50 PM

Singtel

Singapore

COME 2015, the Big Three telcos will find themselves competing harder not just with each other but with smaller players keen on their turf. At the same time, the operators will keep grappling with old chestnuts such as when data monetisation will pay off.

This year has brought some consolation, with tiered plans - the industry's great white hope for capitalising on increasing data usage - gaining ground. All three operators will end 2014 with more than half of their postpaid mobile customers on tiered plans, compared to about 25-30 per cent this time last year.

"Changes in customer behaviour and emergence of OTT (over the top) players have reduced operators' revenue for voice, SMS and roaming usage. But operators are seeing an increased…