SINGAPORE - Local telcos are pulling out all the stops to entice visitors at the four-day IT Show 2019, which opened on Thursday (Mar 7) at Suntec Singapore.
For instance, StarHub is offering new and recontracting mobile subscribers a free 50GB of monthly local mobile data for a year. Those who switch from another telco can enjoy an additional $100 discount.
Singtel, meanwhile, is banking heavily on HBO's hit TV series Game of Thrones (GoT) to attract customers. The telco has introduced three new mobile plans that come with a HBO Go subscription and at least 10GB of mobile data. Visitors can also experience a virtual battle with GoT's villainous White Walkers in a special booth.
Other telcos are following suit with a variety of offers that lower the cost of mobile data.
Competition among telcos has intensified in recent months, especially for the incumbents. There are now four mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) offering price-competitive mobile plans while fourth telco TPG Telecom has started a free, year-long trial for its mobile service last December.
Ms Fong Lin, 47, picked StarHub after checking out a few telcos at the show because it was the cheapest. "I think StarHub's 50GB of mobile data is a lot. I currently have 18GB and it is more than enough. No need to worry any more," she says.
Now in its 18th year, the annual IT Show is organised by Exhibits Inc, a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings.
Other visitors were at the show for the gadgets. Spotted outside the convention hall before the show opened at noon was Mr Anthony Anandam, 65. "This is my first time at the IT Show. I am looking for a laptop to edit my videos and the show is timely," he said.
Also in the queue was Mr Andrew Chua, 33 who planned to check out the deals for the latest mirrorless cameras. "It has been a while since I last visited the IT Show, probably two to three years. It just happened that I am thinking of upgrading my old camera," he said.
For camera enthusiasts, a big attraction at the IT Show is probably Canon's latest full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS RP. Canon ambassador and Olympic swimming champion Joseph Schooling will be at the IT Show on Mar 9 (Saturday) at 3pm for the launch of the EOS RP. Visitors will have the opportunity to get their photos taken with him as well as chances to win limited edition Canon gifts.
Mr Marcus Wee, founder of local PC builder Aftershock PC, believes that the IT Show is "definitely the biggest show of the year" in terms of foot traffic. "The timing of the show is also perfect, as it is the season for manufacturers to update their products," he said.
Among the latest consumer tech products at the IT Show is Samsung's latest Galaxy S10 smartphone. The South Korean firm took up a sizeable booth in the middle of Suntec Singapore's Hall 4 to showcase its new phone, which will officially go on sale on Friday (Mar 8).
Other newly-released products include routers from Asus and TP-Link that support the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard and gaming notebooks sporting new graphics chips.
Meanwhile, older products, such as large flat-screen television sets have had their prices slashed by almost 50 per cent for some models.
Like previous shows, visitors can trade in their old gadgets, such as video game consoles, laptops and smartphones in exchange for cash vouchers. There will also be a lucky draw with prizes such as a Samsung television set for every $100 spent.
The IT Show takes place from 11am to 9pm from now till Mar 10 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
