On the same day I have commented on i-mode. Singapore StarHub launch its i-mode mobile Internet service on last Friday, offering more than 100 websites at which users can buy flowers, book tickets and read news , buy and sell stocks, and find the shortest route home with an online street directory.
This would be a boost to Singapore internet industry and it ecommerce. Even US also unable to have such technology and provide such service.
Singapore telecommunication industry would be able to combine the telecommunication and internet now
Malaysia's Multimedia Supercorridor(MSC), however, still one step behind Singapore again.
Telekom Malaysia Bhd fail to form strategic alliance with NTT Japan and other company. Ananda Krishnan's Maxis, which try very hard to get such a technology over the year from DoCoMo but fail.
However, Singapore StarHub able to secure a deal with Japanese cellphone operator NTT DoCoMo in January to bring i-mode to Singapore.
Now, Singaporean would have the opportunity to try this technology first, at least earlier than Malaysian. Who is working in Singapore?
Related Link: La-Di-Da
TechnoratiTag:Asia Business Commentary competitive Economics Economy Malaysia Opinion finance Shares Stock Market
7 comments:
um... actually, quite a lot of industry insiders consider i-Mode as 'old' technology due to its limited evolutionary roadmap and proprietary nature. Hence, the reluctance of other telcos like Singtel and MobileOne to take up i-Mode.
ya. am working in SG. and i am one of the imode trial users here.
Hi annonymous,
Can give your comment later after you used?
Good that you are keeping us abreast with such developments.
-- Old Man
Hi,
I think I better give myself an identity, otherwise anonymous will come out.
I am using the NEC N600i, one of the 3 models offered to consumers to choose from. 2 NEC models, and 1 samsung model. You can go to Starhub's website to look for more details. I got the N600i because I thought maybe I should get a 3G phone since I am upgrading.
imode runs on 2.5G or 3G. realise that pages load much faster when i am on the 3G network. (obvious right?)
When it was launched, only a handful of imode sites were available at the imode portal when u press the famous "one button" imode button. It was officially launched last week, or week before and the sites have increased.
Since as a trial user, everything is free, no subscription needed for each imode site accessed, and the data charges are waived, i have been subscribing to many sites. If you are wondering, you are charged say $2 - $15 for each imode site u subscribe to, and there's also the data transfer charges.
After around 1 month using it, and gotten my first bill. I realise that just surfing around for 3 weeks, i already chalked up 70MB of data transfer. And the amount to pay for 70MB of usage is SGD70, errr.. I am quite shocked! am wondering will i continue after my test period is over. That's lots of money to pay.
It can be cheaper if I subscribe to their unlimited plan that was announced the day it was launched. But will I want to add another $20 for unlimited usage to my monthly bill?
If the sites to access is worth it, yes. But guess what I have been using my imode phone for? reading newspapers online. sigh. pathetic eh? other than that, reading reader's digest word of the day, and joke of the day. other than that, nothing much fancies me.
All those entertainment sites, ringtones download, wall paper download, its too 'childish' lah. watching EPL on mobile, the screen so small, not nice also.
Mobile banking, OCBC is there, but that's not where my main bank account. ABN Amro, and UOB. I tak pakai them at all. Stock trading. I also dun really use it. But i prefer doing my banking stuff on my notebook.
Maybe there should be more content that is more appealing to me, I will subscribe to that imode site.
Oh yes, one thing I like. yahoo messenger from my phone. It is so so so so much faster. I used to log in to yahoo messenger via GPRS on my old nokia phone. It's so pathetically slow, but it keeps me entertained while on the bus from Singapore to JB-Larkin and back to my hometown. I will be chatting away with adik in UK, kawan kat Australia, etc.
With yahoo as an imode site, its really really fast. Yes, it works while I am roaming in Malaysia! In Singapore, u can get 3G signal almost everywhere, except underground where its 2G on the phone indicator. When you reach JB, Celcom has 3G there, so its still quite fast. But leaving JB, the rest of the trip, all on 2G, but still much much faster than previously using WAP over GRPS. My hometown is between Melaka and JB, so tak ada 3G. Next week, going up to KL for a short break, there I can try again. Maxis and Celcom has 3G there. Will see how smooth it goes.
Only thing that I am dreading is how much Celcom and Maxis will charge for 3G roaming. Roaming charges also takes a longer time to be bill to my provider, so I have not seen the charges yet in my last bill.
Oh ya, another thing I like, you have your own xxx@imode.sg email account. quite cool. But... I still like using my gmail on pc. haha...
i think this comment is too long. Sorry...
Hi Keropokman,
Very informative.
You mean if you pay a fixed rate of SGD20. You need not pay SGD70 and save SGD50? Why not?
Can blogger in Singapore sign up with Starhub and get pay when people surf their blog via i-mode?
Hi Peter,
There's a plan which u can subscribe to, $20 for unlimited imode data transfer usage. (this is in addition to the normal monthly charges).
You see, most people in singapore pay like $20-30 a month for the mobile fees only. (not $80-120 in malaysia, dollar to dollar terms). So forking out another $20 dollars hmm.. Also, for each imode site, you need to pay the month $2 to whatever they decide to charge you leh...
Hmm.. if you sign up as an imode provider, I think a blogger in Sg can get say $3 per person per month for each subscriber that wishes to subscribe to your blog.
Too bad I have stopped blogging since 1 year ago, and prefer to read pple's blog nowadays. haha..
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