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StarHub Launching Enhanced Mobile Network and New Price Plans on 19 September

By Sidney Wong - on 11 Sep 2012, 5:20pm

StarHub Launching Enhanced Mobile Network and New Price Plans on 19 September

 Image source: StarHub

StarHub today announced the enhancement of its high-speed mobile broadband network with Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Dual Cell High-Speed Packet Access Plus (DC-HSPA+), which will offer its customers improved peak downlink speeds of up to 75 Mbps and 42 Mbps respectively.

At launch on 19 September, customers can enjoy StarHub's LTE service in the Central Business District, Changi Airport and Singapore Expo. StarHub will expand its LTE network coverage to more than half of the island by Q4 2012, which will cover key high traffic areas and suburbs. Nationwide LTE network coverage is scheduled to be completed by 2013.

In addition, StarHub will switch on its advanced DC-HSPA+ mobile network in the coming weeks, which will see the current 3G downlink speed doubled up to 42Mbps. This enhancement aims to provide customers with fast, consistent data connectivity in indoor areas, including popular lifestyle and shopping destinations, and most of Singapore's underground network of MRT stations and tunnels. Users of the new iPad will be one of the first in Singapore to benefit from StarHub’s rollout of its high-speed DC-HSPA+ mobile network.

More importantly, StarHub will begin offering four new smartphone price plans from 19th September. All new customers can choose from any of the four new plans while existing customers can continue with their current subscriptions plans, and choose any of the new plans when they re-contract.

Customers also can enjoy free speed boost, where the peak downlink speed is upgraded to a maximum speed of 75Mbps, till 31st March 2013. 

Update as of 13/09/12:- free speed boost is now sustained till 31st December 2013.

Here's a quick look at the new SmartSurf plans: 

New StarHub SmartSurf Plans
   SmartSurf Lite SmartSurf Value SmartSurf Premium SmartSurf Elite
 Monthly Subscription

$38

$58

$98

$205

 Local Outgoing Mins 100 300 700 2000
 Local SMS 800
(previous:500)
900
(previous:500)
1000
(previous:500)
2500
(previous:2000)
 Local Data Bundle

2GB
(previous:12GB)

4GB
(previous:12GB)

6GB
(previous:12GB)

12GB
(previous:unlimited)

 Excess Data Charges

Upsize your local bundle with 1GB extra per month for $2.14 (U.P $4.28)
$6.42 per GB (U.P $8.56)
Maximum data charge of $64.20 per month (U.P $85.60)

The new plans also offer SmartSurf subscribers data bundles of 2GB to 12GB, with an option for them to upsize their respective data bundle by 1 GB at a promotional rate of $2.14 monthly. Based on current mobile data usage patterns, more than 90% of StarHub's customers would not exceed the new data bundles.

Should they use more than the local data bundle of their mobile plan, excess local data usage will be charged at a promotional rate of $6.42 per GB. This is a significant reduction from the current rate of $3.48 per MB. iPhone or Android smartphone users can monitor their data usage via the “My StarHub” app that is available for download on the App Store or Google Play.

In addition, the new plans come with up to two times larger SMS bundles of 800 to 2500 messages. 95% of StarHub’s smartphone customer base are active SMS users who will benefit from the larger SMS bundles. SMS continues to be the most reliable and instantaneous form of text communication across all segments of customers, both young and old.

“While we focus on upgrading our network, we also recognise the importance of packaging our data products right to optimise our network resource so that our customers can enjoy a good, consistent mobile broadband experience with StarHub,” Mr Chan Kin Hung, Head of Marketing & Products for StarHub concluded.

With the new SmartSurf plans, StarHub will be discontinuing its existing SmartSurf and i2Surf plans. The new SmartSurf plans are applicable to both 3G and 4G subscribers, although those signing up for 4G service will have to fork out an additional $10.70 per month after the free speed boost promotion ends on 31st December 2013.

The recent moves by M1 and StarHub to introduce new tiered plans and 4G network coverage seem to indicate that the telcos are preparing for a major phone launch. Our sources have previously informed us that the next generation iPhone would be launching in Singapore on 21st September. We will know in a day or two.

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