December 2007 Issue No. 13
 
 
TOP STORY
 
StarHub explores possibility of turning mobile phone into payment device
The convenience of mobile payment, where all consumers have to do is tap their phones on readers to pay for purchases, could soon become a reality for Singaporeans. StarHub and EZ-Link are currently working together under a strategic partnership to deliver a service which integrates the wallet into the mobile phone turning it into a payment device, which means consumers get to enjoy the benefits of a cashless system.

Tapping into cashless
payment systems of the future.
 
The service is made possible through Near-Field Communication, or NFC technology, and is one of the most welcomed emerging mobile applications to hit the commercial market.

The project is currently undergoing a six-month public trial with 1,000 handsets distributed to StarHub customers. With over 20,000 ez-link payment acceptance points, the trial, which will end in April 2008, is the largest of its kind in the world and is the first public trial in Singapore.

“EZ-Link’s and StarHub’s first steps toward the implementation and adoption of the NFC technology demonstrate the companies’ focus on delivering cutting-edge technologies that add significant value and convenience to consumers in Singapore,” said Mr Anil Nihalani, Vice President of StarHub’s Mobile Services. “The feedback from our trialists will help us understand consumer behaviour toward the NFC technology and provide valuable input as we develop new and exciting applications and services that utilise the technology.”

Participating partners in the NFC phone trial include banks, cinemas, public transportation providers, and shopping centers.
 
 
CORPORATE NEWS
 

 

 
Global Crossing scores hat trick
Global Crossing won three accolades in November alone, picking up Capacity Magazine’s Best Wholesale Strategy 2007 award, a Gold in the Corporation of London Considerate Contractors Award 2007, as well as earning outstanding and excellent customer satisfaction ratings across all categories in Telemark’s Survey on ICT Service Supremacy. These awards recognise Global Crossing’s strategic contribution to the wholesale carrier market as well as its commitment to its customers and the environment.
 
BUSINESS SCORE CARD
 
Global Crossing secures Reader''s Digest account
International publisher Reader’s Digest Association has tapped Global Crossing’s service of converged IP and voice services to improve internal communications among its North American and European locations. Through the deployment of Global Crossing’s Ready-Access audio collaboration product, Reader’s Digest has implemented travel and related cost savings as well as increased staff productivity through more effective meetings.
 
VALUE CREATION
 
StarHub customers get unlimited video and photo uploads for flat fee
In a first for Singapore and Asia, StarHub has tied up with one-click media exchange service provider ShoZu to offer StarHub customers unlimited photo and video uploads to social networking sites at a flat-rate pricing model. The new ease-of-use service is targeted at mobile bloggers, social networkers and netizen journalists.
 
Global Crossing expands Collaboration services to five more Asian countries
Global Crossing has expanded its VoIP access options in Singapore, Thailand, India, China and Japan to support rising demand in the region for its flagship on-demand and reservation-less audio conferencing service, Ready-Access®. Earlier this year, Global Crossing extended the service to customers in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, and plans are currently underway to extend the service throughout South Korea by the first half of 2008.
 
INNOVATION
 

OneSIM Indosat: a
roaming value-added service.

StarHub offers two mobile numbers on one SIM card
StarHub is the first operator in Singapore to offer a roaming service which allows customers who often travel between Singapore and Indonesia the convenience of accessing their Singapore and Indonesia mobile phone numbers from one SIM card. Called OneSIM Indosat, the service is offered under StarHub’s partnership with Indosat.
 
StarHub Mobile subscribers will remain easily contactable on both Singapore and Indonesian numbers as the same phone will be able to simultaneously receive calls and SMSes directed to the two numbers.
 

 
StarHub first in SE Asia to launch fastest two-way High-Speed Packet Access Service
StarHub can lay claim to being the first, and only, operator in Singapore and Southeast Asia to offer the fastest two-way High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) service nationwide. Often called 3.5G, StarHub users can now access high speeds of up to 7.2Mbps downlink and up to 1.9Mbps uplink with the use of HSDPA and HSUPA technologies respectively.
 
COMMUNITY
 

 
StarHub nurtures educational growth of youngsters
Young ones have gained the most in recent months with StarHub’s support of Metta School as well as all public schools nationwide. To promote the volunteerism spirit, StarHub employees celebrated the recent Mid-Autumn festival with 50 students with mild intellectual disability from the Metta school, treating them to customised mooncakes, special lanterns and a musical performance. StarHub also donated S$150,000 to refurbish and replace obsolete computers and printers in the school’s 30 classrooms and two computer labs.

Metta School students
and StarHub employees
at the Chinese Garden.
 
Nationwide, public schools have also benefited from StarHub’s contribution of a 24-month free subscription to StarHub’s Discovery Channel and Bloomberg Television. Amongst other educational shows available on both channels, students get to enjoy programmes such as Bloomberg Television’s “A Greener Asia” and Discovery’s “Man vs Wild”. This effort aims to make learning come alive for students through taking lessons beyond textbooks.