Singapore's third-biggest IPO ever - after SingTel and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing - was about 4.9 times subscribed in its public offer. In all, the 600.5 million shares on offer will raise about S$790 million for M1. (Straits Times 3 Dec 2002) (4)

  Some 300 SingTel customers who booked Nokia's latest product, the 6610, on a Web page on SingTel's Web site will profit from a mistake which will cost SingTel S$200,000. The Web page went 'live' before it was ready. The deal was offered at S$60 for a one-year subscription plan, and free for a two-year deal. "SingTel is committed to delivering on our promises," said a SingTel spokesman. (Straits Times 3 Dec 2002) (1)

  A message spread via text messages on mobile phones asking people to avoid Holland Village because a bomb was found there is a hoax, police said yesterday. The police warned that those found guilty of transmitting false messages, under the Telecommunication Act, can be fined up to S$50,000 or jailed up to seven years, or both. (Straits Times 29 Nov 2002) (6) 

  A request by SingTel to raise local telephone rates for the first time since 1991 was rejected flatly by the Government yesterday. The rejection of SingTel's bid by the Infocomm Authority of Singapore (IDA) surprised industry watchers who had expected that SingTel would be allowed to raise rates by 10-20 per cent either now or next year. SingTel first tried to raise its rates in 1998 but withdrew its application then. (Straits Times 25 Sep 2002) (1)

  StarHub is giving away S$70 million in vouchers to its customers to celebrate its merger with Singapore Cable Vision (SCV). By December, StarHub customers will be offered a new service - fixed-line telephone services using the SCV network. In the first year, it is targeting for between 5 and 10 per cent of SCV's existing customers to opt for its basic telephony services. Currently SCV has 340,000 households using its MaxTV cable TV and 88,000 households logged on to its MaxOnline broadband service. (Straits Times 31 Jul 2002) (A16)

  Flight information can now be retrieved via SMS by SingTel mobile customers. All they need to do is dial *111. They will then be able to track information such as the flight's arrival or departure time. The service, which now costs 10 cents per request, will cost 20 cents from Sept 19. (Straits Times 15 Jul 2002) (H2)

  The Government has decided not to challenge the High Court's dismissal of its S$388-million lawsuit against SingTel. The Infocomm Authority of Singapore (IDA) yesterday said that it was "disappointed" with the court's May 30 decision but would not appeal after "taking legal advice". (Straits Time 2 Jul 2002) (3)

  Singnet has been slapped with a S$2,000 fine by the Infocomm Authority of Singapore (IDA) for an advertisement that was likely to "confuse or mislead" customers. It is believed to be the first penalty imposed by the IDA on an Internet service provider for a misleading ad. (Straits Times 29 Jun 2002) (3)

  WorldCom, the No. three player in Singapore's corporate data market after SingTel and StarHub, yesterday shocked investors by saying it had uncovered improper accounting practices involving almost US$4 billion (S$7 billion). Once boasting a market capitalisation of US$115 billion, WorldCom is now worth just US$1 billion. A WorldCom collapse would leave investors with a US$30 billion mountain of bad debt, reports said. The company is slashing 17,000 jobs to save US$900 million a year. WorldCom's staff numbers about 100 here out of a 85,000-worldwide force. (Straits Times 27 Jun 2002) (1) 

  SingTel Mobile is expected to offer subscribers a specified number of free multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages each month when MMS is introduced in a few months. But once they had used up the quota, subscribers would have to pay. Currently, the daily SMS traffic in Singapore is about 15 million messages. (Straits Times 24 Jun 2002) (6)

  For 50 cents a call, SingTel cell-phone users can now book a Comfort cab through an automated system that can detect the caller's location. Callers do not need to speak to an operator. To make a booking, the user dials *654 on his cell phone. SingTel sends him an SMS message listing up to 10 pick-up points and upon his confirmation of choice of pickup point, the system will send him an SMS detailing the cab's number and estimated arrival time.  The usual booking fee of S$3.20 also applies. (Straits Times 20 Jun 2002) (3)

  Virgin Mobile (Singapore), which was launched here in October 2001, may close its four retail outlets as it keeps an eye on the bottom line. It has inked a deal which will see some 50 to 60 mobile phone dealers island-wide selling its products and services from July 1. (Straits Times 12 Jun 2002) (A20)

  SingTel may raise phone rates in Singapore for the first time since 1991. It has applied to the regulator, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, for permission to do this. Local call rates are now charged at 1.4 cents per minute during peak hours and 0.7 cents per minute during off-peak hours. (Straits Times 31 May 2002) (3)

  High Court Judge Justice LAI Chew Chai yesterday threw out a S$388-million suit brought by the Singapore Government against SingTel. The sum was part of the S$1.5 billion awarded to SingTel in 1996 as compensation for giving up its monopoly early. SingTel chief Executive LEE Hsien Yang said in a statement that his company was "pleased" with the ruling that it was entitled to keep the full compensation amount. But the matter may not end there as the Government could appeal against the ruling. Any appeal must be lodged within the next 30 days. (Straits Times 31 May 2002)(1)

  The Government is studying how much mobile-phone users will benefit by changing the way in-coming and out-going calls are charged. It will look at what impact the Calling Party Pays (CPP) method would have on the rates consumers have to pay before reaching a decision by the fourth quarter. (Straits Times 22 May 2002) (H4)

  The long-awaited merger between StarHub and Singapore Cable Vision (SCV) will be completed next month. The new enlarged StarHub will offer cable television, telecommunications and broadband interactive services. (Straits Times 16 May 2002) (4)

  Some mobile-phone users here are so upset with the tardiness of the short message service (SMS) that they are calling it the "slow message service". They complain that the messages which they send sometimes take hours to reach their recipients and this has caused many of them to miss or be late for appointments. Apparently, the problem mainly affects people who send messages to recipients who use a different telephone company. The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said it would be monitoring developments. (Straits Times 29 Apr 2002) (6)

  SingTel ended the telegram service here on 1 Apr 2002. The service, which has been available here for more than 100 years, ended because too few people use it, a SingTel spokesman told The Straits Times. In the weeks leading up to the end, only about 400 telegrams were sent each month, most of which were from banks and shipping companies. In its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, more than a million telegrams were sent out from Singapore each year. (Straits Times 10 Apr 2002) (H7)

  Of the 1,380 mobile-phone users who responded to a Straits Times poll, about 95 per cent said it was fairer to make callers pay for mobile phone charges than to share the cost with the recipients. Only about 70 people wanted to keep the current system, where mobile-phone users pay for both incoming and outgoing calls. Singapore's mobile ownership rate - one of the highest in the region - now stands at 72.7 per cent, or about 3 million users. Of the four operators here, StarHub Mobile and Virgin Mobile want a change, while SingTel and M1 want to keep the current system. The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is now evaluating feedback and will make a decision later this year on whether there will be a change to the existing system. (Straits Times 10 Apr 2002) (7)

  Paris: Jamming devices that make it impossible to receive or make calls on cell phones are to be installed in public places in France. The device works by occupying all the available spectrum within their range, causing cell phones to give a "no signal" message to users, according to a report on the Wired News website. The jamming devices also make it impossible to send or receive voice mails or text messages (SMS). France legalised cell phone blockers in Dec 2001. It was the first country to legalise the use of the devices and a large majority of French citizens supported the measure, the Wired News report said. The jammers could be deployed by summer, it said. (Straits Times 26 Mar 2002) (8)

  In a recent survey of 5,666 mobile phone users in 14 countries across Asia, Europe and North America, it was found that Singapore led the world in SMS use, with 52 per cent of Singapore users using the short-message service (SMS) more than once a day. Korea came in second with 30 per cent and Australia was next with 29 per cent. The global average was 23 per cent. The survey was conducted by management consultancy A.T. Kearney and Cambridge University's Business School. (Straits Times 26 Mar 2002) (H5) 

  The Government does not plan to make operators implement full-fledged mobile number portability (MNP). This means that if you change your mobile phone line operator, you need to change your mobile phone number. Infocomm development Authority of Singapore (IDA) acting chief executive LEONG Keng Thai said his concern was that consumers would bear the costs related to implementing such a system. Analysts say a system similar to the one in Australia would cost about S$100 million. Consumers who switch operators here can register for a call forwarding service that redirects calls from the old phone number to the new one for between S$60 and S$72 for a twelve-month period. ((Straits Times 25 Mar 2002) (4)

  SingTel began tests last November on new text-to-voice SMS service in which a computer reads out an SMS message sent to a fixed-line phone number. The service is to be launched by mid-year. "When it is sent to a home, anyone can pick it up, so in order to get the message to the right person, we are exploring the possibility of passwords," said a SingTel spokesman. (Straits Times 4 Mar 2002) (3) 

  StarHub yesterday announced it was scrapping overseas charges for its customers calling relatives and friends in Malaysia on their mobile phones. The offer starts on Feb 12 and ends on Dec 31 this year. Customers using StarHub's 018 service need pay only local charges for the calls. (Straits Times 8 Feb 2002)(H3)

  London: Lord Chief Justice Woolf has told judges and magistrates to send mobile-phone thieves to prison for at least 18 months, even if they had no previous convictions. Theft of mobile phones is now Britain's most common crime, with children usually the victims. Last year, 575,000 mobile phones were stolen from youngsters aged between 11 and 15. Another 482,000 phones were taken from youths aged from 16 to 18. (Straits Times 31 Jan 2002) (6)