Travel Alliance kicks off cross-border telco rewards programme with Grab, Trip.com

The Travel Alliance, comprising Singtel, AIS, Globe, HKT, Optus, Taiwan Mobile and Telkomsel, announced a strategic partnerships with leading ride-hailing, delivery, and travel brands Grab and Trip.com last month to enable savings for Alliance customers when they travel.

The Travel Alliance was formed in February 2024 with the aim of launching the first-of-its-kind cross-border rewards programme to enable its almost 300 million customers to enjoy a slew of incentives on transport, dining, merchandise, and lifestyle services when they travel to the markets where the operators are based. Trip.com and Grab are the first to join the ecosystem of partners to provide perks that can be seamlessly accessed by Alliance customers.

Anna Yip, CEO, International Digital Services (Designate), Singtel, said: “Digital tools and services have become an integral part of our lives and play a greater role when we travel as we rely so heavily on them to help us navigate new spaces and access experiences like tours, dining and more. We’re proud to have Grab and Trip.com join us as we build the programme to enhance our customers’ experiences and provide more value beyond connectivity.

"The Travel Alliance will continue to establish partnerships with key goods and service providers so we can continue to provide our customers with the best deals that support their evolving travel and lifestyle needs.” 

Source: Singtel. Announcing the Travel Alliance.

 

As part of the regional cross-border rewards programme, Trip.com will provide Travel Alliance customers with best-in-market concessions of 10% and 6% off hotel and flight bookings respectively. Eligible Alliance customers will also enjoy an instant upgrade to Trip.com’s top tier Diamond status and receive exclusive perks such as free access to airport VIP lounges and car model upgrades for airport transfers.

“As a customer-focused company, Trip.com is delighted to partner with the alliance of seven telcos to bring exceptional travel opportunities to their users across the Asia Pacific region. This collaboration reflects our commitment to making travel more accessible and rewarding by leveraging innovative partnerships. By combining the convenience of our platform with exclusive discounts for the telco customers, we aim to inspire more people to plan the perfect trip for a better world,” added Han Feng, Head of Marketing, Trip.com. 

The Travel Alliance and Grab will work together to create exclusive deals and discounts for Alliance customers, including a special Grab Tourist Pack, to be launched in early 2025. 

“With our presence in over 700 cities across 8 countries in Southeast Asia, Grab believes we can be the one app travellers need for hailing rides, ordering food, dining out or getting emergency supplies delivered to their doorstep. We are pleased to partner the Travel Alliance to support the travel needs of their vast combined customer base,” said Chuck Kim, MD, Group Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Grab. 

Pratthana Leelapanang, Chief Consumer Business Officer at AIS, stated: "We are excited by the successful collaboration between major Asian telecom providers. This partnership allows AIS to offer exceptional travel experiences to its customers abroad. Leveraging familiar and convenient services like Trip.com and Grab, along with the additional benefits from The Travel Alliance, AIS is confident this initiative will significantly enhance customer convenience while travelling, fulfilling its commitment to exceptional service.” 

Monita Leung, CEO of Digital Ventures at HKT, said: "The Club, our loyalty platform within the HKT ecosystem, is committed to enriching the cross-border travel experience for our customers. We're thrilled to join hands with leading telcos of the Alliance and international brands, like Trip.com and Grab, to offer delightful benefits and travel opportunities across the region. 

"Our travel agency, Club Travel, also provides a comprehensive range of travel services, including flights, accommodation, events and ticketing, to offer bespoke unforgettable journeys for our valued travellers." 

“We are always seeking bold, innovative ways to elevate our customers’ experiences, wherever they are. This partnership empowers our customers to travel smarter and more affordably, unlocking exclusive rewards that enhance convenience and connectivity. With Globe, every journey becomes seamless and truly rewarding,” said Darius Delgado, Chief Commercial Officer, Globe Telecom. 

Tony Lin, Chief Business Officer of the Consumer Business at Taiwan Mobile, stated that in this tech-savvy era, travellers seek personalised and convenient travel experiences. "With a user-centric approach, Taiwan Mobile strategically partners with renowned global travel brands to provide seamless services for programme members, encompassing everything from their doorstep and airports to their destinations and attractions, creating rich and diverse travel reward experiences. The Telecom Cross-Border Rewards Programme will continue to expand its partnerships, building a transnational rewards ecosystem that allows both business and leisure travelers to easily accumulate points and flexibly redeem rewards. 

"Looking ahead, Taiwan Mobile will continue to embody its Open Possible brand philosophy, combining its Telco+Tech strategy with global partners to jointly create a smarter and more convenient travel ecosystem," he said. 

Telkomsel’s CMO Derrick Heng said: "As the leading digital telco service provider in Indonesia, Telkomsel is committed to enhance customer journey and experiences through innovative and excellent connectivity, service, and solutions. This collaboration empowers our customers, particularly users of our all-digital telco product by.U, to redeem their loyalty points for services from Trip.com, Grab, and other partners, while travelling to seven participating countries. 

"We also welcome Travel Alliance customers to Indonesia, enabling them to redeem their points to explore the rich cultural heritage and unique beauty that Indonesia has to offer." 

The Travel Alliance programme will be progressively expanded to cover key travel corridors and popular destinations globally. Promotions on accommodations, flights, rides, and food deliveries will be progressively rolled out by the Alliance members in 2025. Details on the offerings from the first partners to join the programme include: 

Trip.com 

Over the next six months, Alliance members will be sharing discount codes that their customers can redeem for hotel and flight bookings on Trip.com. These are applicable for travel up to 30 June 2026. 

Customers can use these codes to enjoy 10% off hotel bookings. Subsequent campaigns will include 6% off flight bookings and other promotions. 

Alliance customers on loyalty programmes, such as Singtel Red and Prestige*, may be eligible for an additional perk of getting upgraded to Trip.com’s Diamond status membership. More details on these campaigns will be shared by the respective telcos. 

Grab 

The Grab Tourist Packs, which offer savings on rides and meals, can be easily accessed via Alliance members’ apps, starting with Singtel’s. The offers can be used when traveling to locations in Southeast Asia where Grab is available. The Alliance will be collaborating with Grab to develop tailored Tourist Packs for their respective markets to ensure added benefits and a more personalised experience for their customers when they travel.

*Singtel Red is an all-in-one rewards membership programme that offers subscribers vouchers, exclusive partner deals, and more data on Singapore's 5G network. Singtel Prestige is an exclusive membership that rewards customers on premium plans.

Circles.Life unleashes new services with an unlimited theme

- Unlimited data on demand at 4G+ speeds, for S$3

- First-ever unlimited WhatsApp roaming in 18 countries at S$1 per day

Source: Circles.Life. Poster for Unlimited
Data on Demand. 

Circles.Life, the fourth mobile operator in Singapore, believes that the current unlimited plans in the market are actually limiting customers. Unlimited plans should not be limited to weekend usage, be throttled after hitting a small data cap or be tied to annual contracts, the company said.

Circles.Life already has a digital no-contract mobile plan, 20 GB of mobile data for S$20 and most recently launched Circles Switch – their try-before-you-buy plan. Circles.Life is now marking another milestone as Asia’s first truly digital telco with the launch of a number of 'unlimited' services:

Unlimited Data on Demand

Circles.Life customers can now get unlimited mobile data for S$3 a day, on demand. This will not lock customers to any contract and is available every day of the year at 4G+ speeds.

Like all unlimited data plans in the market, there is a fair use policy. For Unlimited Data on Demand, speeds will be managed after 100GB of usage per month. Further, Circles.Life customers are eligible to use Unlimited Data on Demand without subscribing to the 20GB for S$20 data upgrade - giving consumers the power to choose what works best for them instead of having to pay over S$100 per month to get unlimited data or be locked into annual contracts, the company said.

Unlimited Data on Demand can be activated by simply turning it on at the CirclesCare mobile dashboard.

WhatsApp Passport

Circles.Life continues to leverage its official partnership with US-based WhatsApp by launching an add-on that allows unlimited roaming for WhatsApp. Starting from S$1 per day, customers will get unlimited data usage for WhatsApp messaging while roaming with partner networks in over 18 countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia, and India*.

Unlimited Outgoing Calls

All Circles.Life basic plans currently come with 100 free minutes of talk time. Users can now have the option of unlimited local outgoing calls by adding S$16 per month. When tacked on to the base plan of S$28 and the S$2 per month free incoming calls value-added service, users can enjoy 6 GB of data and unlimited incoming and outgoing calls for S$46 per month.

Rameez Ansar, Co-founder and Director at Circles.Life said: “At Circles.Life, we spend a lot of time listening to and thinking about what customers really want and offer it to them. This is the secret to our innovative product launches like Unlimited Data on Demand and WhatsApp Passport and to the strong traction that we have achieved so far.

“Most of our customers are satisfied with either the 6 GB for S$28 base plan or adding S$20 more for another 20 GB. For those who want even more, we now have Unlimited Data on Demand.”

In addition, Circles.Life now allows new subscribers try out the first month of subscription for free. All new customers will not be charged for the first month of their basic subscription. This is for a limited time only.

*The full list of 18 countries and partner networks is on the Circles.Life terms and conditions page

IMDA partners telcos, financial institutions to support SMEs

Seven memoranda of intent (MoIs) have been announced between the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), telecommunications and financial institutions. These partnerships will help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accelerate the adoption of pre-
approved robust, secured and interoperable digital technology solutions, particularly in the
areas of cybersecurity and data analytics.

Launched in April 2017, the SMEs Go Digital programme helps advise SMEs on the
adoption of digital technologies at each stage of their growth as well as to boost productivity.
SMEs contribute to almost 50% of Singapore’s gross domestic product and employ
two out of three workers in Singapore. Digital technologies have the ability to transform the
way SMEs function and help businesses improve revenue in the long term by managing
operating costs, improve compliance and financing*.

Telcos M1, Singtel and StarHub will provide SMEs with a one-stop service
through digital technology-bundled packages. These packages offer broadband or Wi-Fi
connectivity bundled with IMDA’s pre-approved digital technology solutions, cybersecurity
and data analytics tools and services.

Through the partnerships with the DBS Bank, Hong Leong Finance, Oversea-Chinese
Banking Corporation (OCBC Bank) and United Overseas Bank (UOB), SMEs will have
access to financial instruments such as bridging loans to help defray costs when investing in building new capabilities. The banks will also work with business leaders to kickstart innovative solutions with SMEs and industry partners.

The collaborative efforts were announced by Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, at the Singapore Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (SCCCI) Annual SMEs Conference and Infocomm Commerce Conference.

“We believe our SMEs need to embrace technology to thrive in a Digital Economy. Through collaborations between IMDA and key industry partners, SMEs can more easily assess digital technologies and financing support to embark on their digitalisation efforts. We welcome more partners to join us in supporting our SMEs in their digital journey,” said Tan Kiat How, Chief Executive, Infocomm Media Development Authority.

IMDA will continue to work with trade association and chambers such as SCCCI, and government agencies in reaching out to SMEs to provide assistance to help them scale efficiently and enhance their business value. As of end July, close to 200 SMEs have adopted over 30 out of the 56 IMDA’s pre-approved digital solutions through the SMEs Go Digital programme.

DBS aims to leverage various SME initiatives like DBS TechMatch, where SMEs are matchmade with tech partners for more efficient technology adoption, and DBS BusinessClass, an engagement program/app platform to connect SMEs with business mentors from around the world. In addition, the DBS SME banking team will continue to support SMEs with working capital products and technology adoption bridging loans.

“As we look towards transforming Singapore to a digital economy, local businesses must evolve along in this momentum. We continue to focus our efforts to help SMEs build their digital capabilities to seize new growth opportunities.” said Joyce Tee, Group Head of DBS SME Banking.

As an established SME financier, Hong Leong Finance intends to influence customers who are industry leaders to seek and pilot emerging technology solutions to help uplift productivity and competitiveness for their sectors. Furthermore, Hong Leong Finance will reach out to hundreds of SMEs to introduce the SMEs Go Digital programme through its different platforms including events and collaborative clinics with SME Digital Tech Hub Specialists. Hong Leong Finance’s SME Relationship Managers will all be trained by IMDA to enable them to introduce the SMEs Go Digital programme to SMEs.

Under its enhanced SME Capability Ready (CARE) Programme, SMEs keen to go digital will be guided by the Relationship Managers to make the right contact. They will also be introduced to government capabilities grants that can help them defray costs in their capabilities building investments and to bridging loans for them to wait out for grants. “Faced with rising operating costs, increasing competition from the digital economy and changing consumer behaviour, many SMEs are keen to use digital capabilities to improve their efficiency and competitiveness. But they do not know how. With the partnership with IMDA, Hong Leong Finance will be that connector between these SMEs and digital advisers to help them find suitable solutions and provide them financing,” commented Ang Tang Chor, President, Hong Leong Finance.

M1 Solutions that have already identified and are now commercially available include smart fleet management and retail analytics. More solutions will be added progressively. "Our strategic partnership with IMDA will enable us to better serve SMEs through our one-stop smart digital services platform, enhancing their productivity and business value add. We look forward to engaging SMEs and help them tap on M1's selection of carefully curated smart digital services in areas such as fleet management and retail analytics," said Willis Sim, Chief Corporate Sales and Solutions Officer, M1.

OCBC Bank’s collaboration with IMDA on the SMEs Go Digital programme underscores OCBC Bank’s commitment to helping SMEs digitalise, the bank said. OCBC Bank will continue to reach out to their customers and for those who wish to integrate certain digital programmes into their business, OCBC Bank will provide them the necessary financial support via bridging financing, invoice financing and other forms of financial assistance. Activities such as industry sharing sessions and focus group sessions that allow SMEs to hear from experts and learn from each other’s experiences will also be organised.

“Going digital is no longer an option for SMEs today. Companies that embrace digitalisation both in the way they engage and serve their customers and in the way they manage their operations, develop a competitive edge and a more sustainable foundation for their business growth. As banker to one in every two SMEs in Singapore, we are committed to working with our SME customers to deliver digital solutions in cash management, trade finance and working capital management, and to support their transition towards a more digitally-enabled business under IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme,” said Linus Goh, Head, Global Commercial Banking, OCBC Bank.

Singtel’s suite of solutions are designed to increase SMEs’ revenue growth, raise their productivity and reduce their operational costs, the company said. The 99%SME e-marketplace allows SMEs to market themselves online for free and tap on a wider online customer base, for example. SMEs participating in the e-marketplace can access digital marketing tools, mobile payment and cyber security services.

Singtel solutions also include a Connected Restaurant that enables food and beverage (F&B) owners to overcome the challenge of operating different devices with an all-in-one interoperable solution that integrates online reservations and ordering; self-serve kiosks; eMenus; payment solutions; staff scheduling; payroll management and accounting systems, and a Connected Workforce solution that enhances business communication and productivity of SMEs in the logistics and security business.

“The IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme augments our initiatives to help SMEs progress and advance in their digital journeys. With our end-to-end solutions, from connectivity to cyber security, we are well placed to curate solutions catering to the needs of SMEs in various sectors, easing their adoption of digital technology,” said Andrew Lim, MD, Business Group, Group Enterprise at Singtel.

StarHub is supporting IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme with Smart Retail, an integrated offering that makes it convenient and cost-effective for SMEs to get the connectivity services, business transformation solutions and technical support needed to optimise their business operations and enhance customer service. StarHub will help to ease ICT adoption for SMEs by enabling Wi-Fi connectivity as well as sourcing and integrating business transformation solutions such as retail analytics, customer relationship management, point-of-sale, digital ordering, e-commerce and digital signage as a single subscription service. StarHub will also drive awareness programmes, government grant application and claiming, training and support services.

“SMEs play a significant role in sustaining the economic growth of Singapore. To survive and thrive in today’s manpower-lean and competitive economy, SMEs must exploit digital technologies to transform their businesses. In line with IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme, StarHub is pleased to launch our Smart Retail initiative to help SMEs accelerate digitalisation by reducing the complexity and cost of IT adoption. With Smart Retail, SMEs will get easy and affordable access to a suite of business applications, broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity and technical support as a single subscription service," stated Dr Chong Yoke Sin, Chief of Enterprise Business Group, StarHub.

As part of UOB’s collaboration with IMDA, the bank will conduct industry-specific workshops where its customers can learn more about how they can tap IMDA’s pre-approved digital solutions to overcome challenges, to enhance their capabilities and to seize opportunities in the digital economy. UOB has been working with its partners to provide SMEs with solutions that help improve productivity, competitiveness and profitability.

Mervyn Koh, MD and Head of Business Banking, Singapore, UOB, cited BizSmart as an example of how UOB's Business Banking customers can achieve cost savings of up to 60% by automating their back office processes. BizSmart is an integrated cloud-based business solution with 5 digital applications to help SME retailers increase business efficiency. For organisations in industry sectors such as property management and education, UOB introduced a mobile payment function on the hiLife and snaapp apps, which enables the electronic collection of monthly fees and in turn reduces the manpower needed for administrative and payment functions.

“As the banking partner to one in every two small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore, UOB understands the challenges business leaders face and how digital technology can help them address their concerns. Our partnership with IMDA will extend the support we provide to our business and commercial banking customers by connecting them to IMDA-approved digital solutions based on their business needs. These solutions can help SMEs sustain and grow their businesses as they seize opportunities in the digital economy,” said Choo Kee Siong, MD and Head of Enterprise Banking, UOB.

“As an SME, it is important that our business processes are efficient and lean. We have already adopted UOB’s BizSmart solution to integrate and streamline our key processes such as point of sale (POS), accounting and HR/payroll matters. These solutions have also provided insights that help us to make smart, data-driven decisions for the business. Having experienced the benefits of using digital solutions, I look forward to finding out more about other solutions that can help my business become more competitive,” said Angeline Ong, DishTheFish, a new-age fishmonger transforming their business with digital solutions.

*National Business Survey 2016/2017 report

Zain customers receive extra rewards when reserving through Booking.com

- Service now available in Zain operations in Kuwait and Iraq, other countries to follow soon

- Reservations made through a dedicated Zain link are converted to additional complimentary mobile services

Source: Zain Group. Zain to offer rewards for Booking.com orders.

The Zain Group, a mobile telecom innovator with operations in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, has partnered with hotel reservation booking services site Booking.com to offer Zain customers additional complimentary mobile services for using the hotel service through a dedicated link. Zain has previously partnered global technology and content companies such as Uber and global computer game developer ZeptoLab to customers.

Zain customers who book a hotel stay through booking.zain.com will gain exclusive benefits based on the value of their booking. By inserting their phone number, each time they complete a booking on the site and fulfil the reservation, they will be rewarded with the allocation of additional mobile data or voice benefits that are credited to either their prepaid or post-paid line.

In Kuwait, customers will receive additional free Internet capacity of up to 1TB, while in Iraq, customers will benefit from additional voice and SMS credits. Other Zain country operations will offer similar benefits according to the local market preferences.

Zain Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer said, “As we evolve to become a digital lifestyle operator, this agreement with another world class digital marketplace provider represents Zain’s ongoing commitment to delivering exciting and compelling user experiences to our customers. We admire Booking.com’s customer orientation in its own right, and feel that the collaboration between our two organizations will be of enormous mutual benefit offering our customers the best choice of rewards and convenience.”

The partnership with Booking.com further builds on the establishment of the Zain Digital Frontier and Innovation (ZDFI) business unit, which is charged with launching Zain into the digital space by identifying new business areas, strategic partnerships, acquisition opportunities and other investments. Collectively, these activities look to create new revenue streams to maximise the group’s high-speed 4G-LTE broadband networks, customer assets, network intelligence and payment and billing frameworks.

Booking.com is available in more than 40 languages, and offers over 900,000 active properties in 223 countries and territories. The site offers competitive hotel rates and an easy way for travellers to choose and book accommodation.

Interested?

The service is now available to Zain customers in Kuwait and Iraq. It will be rolled out to other Zain country operations in due course.

Meet Circles.Life, the new telco vying for your mobile data dollars in Singapore

Source: Circles.Life. What Circles.Life stands for.

New digital telco Circles.Life will be introducing a new 4G mobile experience for the data-savvy consumer segment in Singapore. The company hopes to give more power to the customer with data-centric plans by disrupting the way telco services are sold.

Circles.Life enables subscribers to pay only for what they want, rather than what the telco has on offer: the amount of data, minutes, SMS and add-ons, the choice of a phone, the payment method and plan are all available online. At the same time Circle.Life’s intelligent software and data analytics engine delivers new capabilities including better customisation of services, on-demand control, real-time usage monitoring to improve the customer experience.

"We are here to bring the power back to the digital customer. Circles.Life’s innovative platform allows our customers to experience telco in a way they’ve always wanted,” said Rameez Ansar, co-founder of Circles.Life. “By doing this, we hope we can be part of leading innovation in the telco industry which is characterised by data and analytics. We hope others will join us in the path forward.”

“We support Circles.Life’s vision of delivering a digital telco experience to customers, and look forward to working with Circles.Life to grow the partnership,” said Lee Kok Chew, M1 Chief Commercial Officer. M1 signed an agreement in July 2015 to provide Liberty Wireless with the means to deliver voice, messaging and data access to its customers using M1’s mobile network. Liberty Wireless owns the Circles Asia brand which is offering Circles.Life.

Interested?

Customers can register their interest to subscribe to Circles.Life plans

Source: Circles.Life. Pricing plans can add up to as low as S$28 a month.

Hashtag: #NewTelcoInTown

Singtel SIM Only mobile plan offers unprecedented flexibility

Singtel has come up with a mobile SIM Only plan that is data-centric, contract-free and fully customisable.

The fully flexible plan is one of a kind: the basic plan is a S$20 Starter Pack which includes 5GB of data (3GB local mobile data and 2GB Singtel Premium WiFi), free incoming calls and SMS. Users can further customise their plan at any time with extra data, talktime and SMS/MMS at affordable rates, with the charges reflected in their monthly bill.

Diana Chen, Singtel’s Vice President of Mobile Marketing, Consumer Singapore, said: “Our customers have spoken and we are responding by expanding our range of plans to suit their usage needs. Today, we are seeing an insatiable appetite for online information and entertainment which is fuelling the demand for more data. At the same time, customers are craving greater flexibility in the way they manage their communication needs.

“So we’ve made it possible for users to bring their own device, select only the services they want and enjoy a considerable amount of data from just $20 a month – and all without having to commit to a contract.”

Source: Singtel.

A customer who takes up the Starter Pack and decides to add 1GB of extra data, 200 minutes of talktime but no SMS will pay a total of S$20 + S$5 for the data + $5 for the voice minutes, or S$30 a month.

Interested?

Sign up for the SIM Only plan at any Singtel Shop or Singtel Exclusive Retailers, or check out different combinations online before registration

Penang gets 4G LTE services from Digi

Digi launches 4G LTE in Penang, bringing quality, high-speed Internet to more Malaysians. From left: Digi’s Chief Network Officer Kesavan Sivabalan, Siew Chee Kong, Digi’s Head of Northern Region, Ismail Othman, Regional Head of SKMM Northern, Albern Murty, Digi’s Chief Executive Officer, and YB Chow Kon Yeow, Penang State Executive Councillor for Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation.

Digi Telecommunications (Digi) has introduced expanded LTE services in Penang, enabling more Malaysians in the north of the peninsula to enjoy the benefits of consistent, high-speed Internet connectivity.

Officiating the launch, YB Chow Kon Yeow, Penang State Executive Councillor for Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation said the state government appreciates Digi’s commitment to provide affordable access to high quality telecommunications services in the state, including the latest LTE services.

“We welcome Digi's efforts to bring fast, reliable mobile Internet services to Penangites, and opening up new ways for them to benefit from greater access to knowledge, information and economic prospects. In Penang, Internet on-the-go benefits not only residents but also tourists who will enjoy having consistent, high-speed Internet connectivity to help them navigate our historic streets and learn about Penang with the variety of mobile apps available. The introduction of LTE services like these support our ambitions for greater digital inclusion within the state, and drive the development of a progressive, digitally savvy Penang,” Chow said.

Albern Murty, Digi's Chief Executive Officer said, "As the fastest growing LTE network in the country, we will not decrease our momentum in enabling mobile internet connectivity for every Malaysian. Our focus is to ensure every customer, regardless of Internet experience, will have access to quality, relevant and affordable Internet services. We are offering 4G LTE services via a wide range of affordable smartphone bundles to fit different usage patterns."

In Penang, Digi has a 3G footprint of 99% and LTE population coverage of 66% with plans to expand to more areas in Perak, Perlis and Kedah. Digi's LTE services are currently also available in the Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Labuan, Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, Langkawi, Kampar and Port Dickson.

Roaming made easy for Singapore with slimduet and StarHub

Having joined the slimduet alliance, a group of companies which support the soft SIM over-the-air download platform initiated by Taisys Technologies Company, Singapore's second-largest info-communications company StarHub will start offering its mobile pre-paid services via slimduet to Singapore visitors from 15 June 2015.

Singapore joins slimduet after Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the UK, US, Taiwan and Thailand and could benefit as many as 1.2 million visitors a month. 

StarHub's Assistant Vice President of Mobile Pre-paid Business, Tian Ung Ping said, "Wherever they are in the world, slimduet users can pre-order a virtual StarHub prepaid package on their phone and easily activate the service upon arrival to get connected on StarHub's advanced nationwide mobile network. This new, unmatched convenience will enhance the overall visitor experience for travellers, who in this digital age require connectivity on their phones for both work and play."

Taisys' Chairman Jason Ho says, "Our partnership with StarHub in Singapore is another significant milestone for soft SIM service deployment in the mobile society. The distribution of slimduet soft SIM strictly complies with government regulations applicable where we provide service. We welcome operators from all regions to join slimduet to offer telecommunications service without boundaries!"

To get started, users have to buy a slimduet SIM sticker at www.slimduet.net/en/#shop, attach the sticker to an existing SIM and purchase prepaid packages offered by the mobile operators through the slimduet app. The slimduet SIM can be reused for future travel in countries with slimduet coverage.

For Singapore, the US$14 prepaid package powered by StarHub will come with S$18 credit for local talktime, SMS and data, free 100GB local data for five days and free IDD018 calls to 19 destinations. Activating the service can be done at StarHub authorised dealers in Changi Airport. Users can dial *123# thereafter to manage their prepaid account and buy additional voice and data plans.

StarHub revamps loyalty programme so customers can redeem more

Singapore's StarHub has unveiled a revamped customer incentive programme to enable customers to earn and redeem points sooner.

StarHub is partnering e-merchants to allow customers to earn StarHub Rewards Points while shopping online. Agoda, a hotel booking site, was the first merchant to partner StarHub. Shopback—a Singapore-based startup that connects consumers to e-tailers such as ASOS, Groupon, Lazada and Zalora is also on board.

Every dollar spent at Agoda via starhub.com/agoda will earn one StarHub Rewards Point for StarHub customers. Customers who shop at Shopback via starhub.com/shopback may earn one or more StarHub Rewards Points. StarHub will also be partnering merchants for one-off promotions. Those who book a hotel from Agoda for June will earn three times the number of StarHub Rewards Points.

The Points can then be used to redeem StarHub Rewards across its Eat, Shop and Play catalogues, which include over 50 merchants and brands.

As part of StarHub’s SG50 promotions, customers can also look forward to redeeming over 5,000 items for 50 StarHub Rewards Points across a span of five weeks from early July.

“At StarHub, we value the loyalty and support of our customers. That is why we enhanced our loyalty programme around their needs; to reward them with what is relevant to them. We recognise that, increasingly, consumers are shopping online, hence, our partnerships with Agoda and Shopback will enable customers to be rewarded whenever they shop online with our partners,” said Jeannie Ong, Chief Marketing Officer, StarHub.

“Through these partnerships, customers will be able to earn StarHub Rewards Points faster and redeem for rewards they want across a richer variety of options. We are constantly on the lookout to bring the latest trends and offerings to our customers, and will continue to introduce more partners and exciting rewards options in the near future.”

Interested?

Find out more about the loyalty programme
Existing customers can redeem rewards (login required)

UAE SMEs can get corporate mobile plans from du

Du is offering a set of five corporate plans for SMEs which cover data and free calls to colleagues.

The plans range from AED50 a month to AED450 monthly, and cover data, national minutes (calling), national text messages, as well as free minutes for calling people in a designated 'business calling circle'.  Three of the plans include free international minutes and international texts as well. Add-on 'packs' can be purchased for additional minutes, texts, or to add more people to the business calling circle.

According to the small print, an activation fee of AED55 applies, and the plan as well as selected add-on packs have a minimum 12-month contract, with fees that apply for early termination.

Source: du e-newsletter.

The company has also created new individual Smart Plans from AED150 to AED1,000 a month. The plans offer up to 20GB a month of data, a maximum of 2,500 flexible minutes, free calls for up to three numbers and a free smartphone.

Digi expands LTE coverage in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Source: Digi. Chief Executive Officer Albern Murty (left) showcasing the high-quality, consistent Internet experience with Digi’s 4G LTE via video call with Hitz.FM radio DJs Ean and Adam C (on the small screen to the left). Loh Keh Jiat, Digi’s Chief Sales Officer, is on the right.

Digi Telecommunications (Digi) announced today that it now serves more areas in the Klang Valley, more than doubling the company’s LTE footprint in this area. This benefits the telco’s customers in the Klang Valley with consistent LTE services.

Albern Murty, Digi’s Chief Executive Officer said Digi’s effort to bring LTE services to more Malaysians nationwide echoes the government’s ambition to ensure greater access to Internet services for all. Together with Digi’s existing 3G coverage, bringing expanded LTE services in the Klang Valley is aligned to the Economic Transformation Programme’s (ETP's) call for improving broadband access for 80% of the populated areas in Greater Kuala Lumpur, with a target of a minimum speed of 2Mbps.

“Our commitment to expand LTE coverage in the Klang Valley and across Malaysia reflects the company’s long term plans to continue investing heavily in its network to deliver Internet for all Malaysians,” said Murty. 

Digi aims to maintain this LTE rollout momentum in the coming years, focusing on areas with a strong demand for LTE services and devices, and where it serves to make a real difference in bringing Internet to more people nationwide. Digi’s 4G LTE services are currently available in the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Labuan, Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, Kampar, Langkawi and Port Dickson.

The company also has a deep focus on improving network quality. In the next few quarters, Digi will simultaneously increase network coverage, boost capacity and significantly improve both the indoor and outdoor Internet experience in the Klang Valley.

“Our focus is to continue to ensure everyone has access to quality Internet services nationwide, fuelled by significant improvements in our network performance and coverage, the proliferation of a wider range of affordable smartphones bundles including choices under RM200, and innovative digital service offerings to fit different customer usage patterns,” Murty said.

Digi will be hosting a four-day roadshow starting today at One Utama, where customers can sign-up for the new range of LTE postpaid DG Smart Plans, iDiGi Plans and Broadband plans. Customers have a choice of premium devices like the iPhone 6 to more affordable options such as the Lenovo A606, Meizu MX 4 and Honor 6, available for free with selected DG Smart Plans. Existing Digi prepaid and postpaid customers can begin enjoying 4G LTE on their LTE-enabled devices with a free LTE SIM upgrade redeemable at the roadshow itself.

Customers will also enjoy Digi’s special 20th Anniversary RM1 million prizes giveaway for new and existing Digi customers who sign up or purchase items at the roadshow. Additional 20th anniversary promotions for Digi postpaid customers include up to RM240 rebate for 12 months or select range of free smartphones for new DG SmartPlan sign-ups; up to RM60 rebate for DG Smart Family plan for 12 months, and friends who switch to Digi will get up to RM200 extra rebates. Enterprise customers will also enjoy free MobiFis, smartphones and data for selected Biz Plus plans. 

Mashreq Etisalat Visa Signature Credit Card is the UAE’s first “Me-Life” credit card

Source: Mashreq Bank.

UAE-based Mashreq bank has launched the Mashreq Etisalat Visa Signature Credit Card – the UAE’s first “Me-Life” credit card - in partnership with telecommunication operator Etisalat. 

The new card promises that monthly expenditure on Etisalat services such as talk time, data, broadband and direct-to-home subscriptions can be offset through a 5% rewards rebate on all card purchases. Every time customers spend on their card, they effectively knock 5% off their next Etisalat services bill.

The accumulated rewards can be instantly and seamlessly redeemed across the full suite of Etisalat products and services including fixed line and mobile post-paid bill payment, e-life subscriptions, data packages and Wasel prepaid mobile recharges.

Nimish Dwivedi, Head of Payments at Mashreq said, “We live in an age of convergence. To align with the evolving expectations of our customers, the new Mashreq Etisalat Visa Credit Card offers not just the highest talk time per dirham of spend, but a one-stop solution that gives the customer more surf-time, stream-time, game-time, movie-time, leisure time… more 'me-time'. So, whether you are a Etisalat prepaid customer, postpaid subscriber or just someone who loves live-streaming on his smart device, the card has universal appeal, because you can spend as little as AED3,000 per month on everyday purchases and get value in terms of free talk-time and data worth AED150. By offering the fastest route to earning rewards with the most flexible and convenient redemption options, Mashreq and Etisalat have thus defined loyalty propositions forever.”

Khaled Elkhouly, Chief Marketing Officer at Etisalat, said, “The Etisalat Rewards programme is an innovative, generous and an effective way for us to reward our customers and say thank you for their patronage. As the country’s first telecom loyalty program, Etisalat Rewards has come a long way in becoming one of the largest and most rewarding propositions in the region. It is our partnerships with leading brands such as Mashreq Bank that have helped us up the level of our offerings for the Etisalat Rewards member.”

Marcello Baricordi, Visa's General Manager for the UAE & Global Accounts Lead MENA, said: “Visa’s premium cards are designed to offer affluent cardholders great rewards and travel benefits, including complimentary access to around 500 airport lounges worldwide, and the peace of mind of our dedicated Visa Signature Concierge service. We are delighted that Mashreq Bank’s affluent clients will now be able to enjoy a safe, secure and seamless purchasing experience that all Visa products, including Visa Signature, offer.”

SMEs in Australia can leverage Microsoft Lync via iiNet

Parallels, the platform provider for cloud service delivery, has successfully deployed Microsoft Lync via Parallels Automation at iiNet, Australia's second-largest DSL Internet service provider and the leading challenger in Australia's telecommunications market. The new Microsoft Lync service from iiNet will make enterprise-grade voice, telephony and video calling services affordable for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) nationwide. 

Source: iiNet website.

IiNet has been providing Australian SMEs with innovative connectivity solutions to suit the changing dynamics of its home market for 20 years. With almost 40% of SME* employees now working away from the office, there is an urgent need to make available business-class collaboration solutions at economical prices, the company said.

The new offering builds on iiNet's popular Hosted Microsoft Exchange email service, equipping SMEs with fully integrated corporate tools to communicate and collaborate where they want, when they want and how they want. 

The iiNet Microsoft Lync service lets businesses make clear voice and video calls over their broadband connection, share their desktop with others and instant message in a familiar Microsoft environment. Business customers can also make free local and national landline calls from a personalised number directly from their desk phone. Other advanced telephony features include voicemail being forwarded to email, call forwarding and automated receptionist services.

“We’re excited to announce this is the first time an Australian ISP has combined Lync with a ground-breaking voice solution to help our small business customers cut costs and transform the way they work,” said Greg Bader, Chief Business Officer at iiNet.

“What we offer with Lync is a great step up, a professional communications tool that’s designed to work well with your desk phone as well as on your desktop. Additionally, it’s backed by our reliable broadband network and award-winning support team with priority business lines.” 

According to the most recent Parallels SMB Cloud Insights, the global market for communications and collaboration solutions is projected to triple in the next three years, from US$6.5 billion in 2013 to US$20 billion by 2016. Customers are seeing significant benefits by combining unified communications services like Microsoft Lync with their other cloud-based collaboration and communications solutions such as Hosted Exchange.

“The most recent report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) validates our observation that SMEs are ready and willing to integrate technology into their business process provided the solutions are affordable, easy to use and don't take much effort to maintain,” said Pavel Ershov, Vice President for Service Provider, Parallels Asia Pacific and Japan.

IiNet Microsoft Lync is available in three plans starting from A$1.95 per month per user, no contract required. 

*”Home is where the work is – the digital worker” study, ACMA, October 2013.