StarHub, 5G and Bluengine Form Partnership to Deliver Local Wireless Broadband Roaming Services
Unprecedented Agreement Between Wireless Operators Targeted At Encouraging Adoption of Wireless Technology in Singapore
Singapore, 27 February 2003 - StarHub, Singapore's leading info-communication provider, and two leading wireless broadband operators here - 5G and Bluengine - today announced the formation of Singapore's first Wireless Broadband (or WiFi) Marketing Partnership Initiative. This initiative is created to develop a convenient and uniform roaming service, which allows any of the three companies' customers to use any hotspots managed by these three operators.
Under the agreement, StarHub, 5G and Bluengine will work towards a six-point plan for seamless roaming in Singapore. In particular, all three companies will -
- Participate in co-marketing activities for each other's Wireless Broadband services;
- Establish a commercial and technical roaming service for each operator's customers on another operator's network;
- Establish a uniform log-in experience for greater ease of use;
- Establish a mutually-agreed level of Quality of Service (QoS) for customers;
- Provide customer support for each operator's customers at their respective WiFi hotspots with a mutually-agreed service-level agreement (SLA);
- Provide technical support among operators with a mutually-agreed SLA.
Currently, StarHub, 5G and Bluengine have completed the technical specifications of the local roaming service. Local roaming capabilities are expected to be available by mid-June. The pricing model will also be announced then.
"StarHub is delighted to work with innovative entrepreneurial companies like 5G and Bluengine to provide a high level of seamless Wi-Fi connectivity throughout Singapore. By pooling our resources, we hope to encourage greater adoption of the service which will in turn create a multiplier effect on the economy for the benefits of both customers and corporations," said Mr Kyong Yu, Senior Vice President of StarHub Interactive.
Local wireless broadband roaming will expand customer choice in terms of where they can connect wirelessly to the Internet. With the roaming service implemented, customers will be able to connect wirelessly at more than 180 locations throughout Singapore. These include StarHub's Wireless Broadband Hubs at Changi Airport and Suntec City, Singapore’s two largest wireless broadband hubs commercially available for use by the public. Future hotspot rollouts by all three companies will also ensure similar roaming capabilities throughout Singapore.
"This partnership sees the beginning of greater co-operation between operators to encourage a higher level of awareness and adoption of Wi-Fi services in Singapore. In doing so, we will create a favourable environment for a potentially large market growth. We believe our partnership will result in the increase in inbound data and voice traffic amongst business travellers, as well as the domestic corporate and consumer WI-FI markets," commented Mr Kee Boon Hian, Vice President of 5G.
Added Derrick Lee, CEO of Bluengine, "We have been developing and operating roam-able wireless networks for the past few years and it is very encouraging to see all our efforts bear fruit. We believe that with this partnership, it will encourage greater technical, marketing and commercial collaboration between WISPs which will in turn create a more pervasive wireless LAN environment in Singapore."
"Wireless Broadband brings to customers high-speed Internet access that will help improve productivity and convenience. The service is growing rapidly in Singapore and worldwide and we are proud to be the pioneer and leader in implementing and delivering extensive wireless broadband hubs in Singapore," concluded Mr Yu of StarHub Interactive.
Wireless broadband uses the IEE802.11b wireless protocol to deliver high-speed Internet speeds for users with an WiFi-enabled laptop or PDA. Wireless operators that would like to participate in the Wireless Broadband Marketing Partnership initiative, please contact StarHub’s Wireless Broadband team at (65) 6825 7881.
For more information, please log onto https://www.starhub.com/wirelesshub.
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