Aussie firm wins bid to be 4th telco

Australian telco TPG Telecom outbid local Internet service provider MyRepublic with an offer of $105 million to become Singapore's fourth telco. PHOTO: ST FILE

TPG Telecom will be Singapore's fourth telco, joining StarHub, Singtel and M1 in mid-2018.

This is the first time in 15 years that the three-way hold on the telecoms market has loosened.

The Australian telco outbid local Internet service provider MyRepublic with an offer of $105 million, compared with MyRepublic's $102.5 million.

This grants it usage of 60MHz of spectrum, with rights to the airwaves beginning April 1 next year at the earliest.

Within 18 months of the start date, TPG will be required to provide nationwide street-level 4G coverage, and within 54 months, it will be required to provide coverage for underground MRT stations and lines.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 15, 2016, with the headline Aussie firm wins bid to be 4th telco. Subscribe