SingTel just released a press release on a revamp on the pricing structure of the data enabled mobile plans for their users:
| Flexi Lite | Flexi Value | Flexi Plus | Flexi Premium | |
| Monthly subscription | $39.90 | $59.90 | $99.90 | $205 |
| Local outgoing minutes | 100 | 200 | 500 | 2000 |
| Local SMS | 800
(previously 550) |
900
(previously 650) |
1000
(previously 700) |
2500
(previously 2000) |
| Local data bundle
(previously 12GB) |
2GB | 3GB | 4GB | 12GB |
| Excess usage and data cap
(previously $2.76/MB) |
$5.35/GB (w GST) for 3G subscribers. Applicable to 4G subscribers during promotion from 1 July to 31 Dec 2013.
$10.70/GB (w GST) from 1 Jan 2013 for 4G subscribers.
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This mirrors the price plans in USA where the infrastructure is not able to support the massive numbers of users. Why this plan seems like a devolution of service to me?
- Instead of solving the overcrowded base station issues, they decided to cap the usage of the consumer. $12 million spent on HungryGoWhere.com can be put to much better use. SingTel is a telecommunication provider, not a information provider.
- The trend of usage of SMS has been going downhill ever since applications like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are made available to consumers for free. Providers are struggling to retain the SMS usage rates. The increase to 800 SMS serves as a weak consolation prize for the users.
Good news is that this revised pricing plans are applicable to new and recontracting lines from 1st July 2012 onwards. Hence, if you want to stick to your current plans and not mind getting phones at non-contractual price, do not recontract your plans (that is if SingTel decides not to change their mind on not applying this on lapsed lines).
Press release on the next page