MyRepublic is rolling out a public trial of mobile services in Jurong East from October 22, as it edges closer to a possible entry into the market as Singapore’s fourth telecom operator.
The trial is limited to an outdoor area surrounding a few apartment blocks in the Jurong East area. A month later, users will be able to go online on their phones when they are at the bus interchange and MRT station in the area.
Up to 500 testers are sought for the test, the broadband service provider said today. They would be given a free SIM card and a smartphone, including a Xiaomi Mi 4i.
According to MyRepublic, 13,000 people have indicated an interest to join the trial. It will give selected users free and unlimited data usage in the small test area.
In shortlisting the trial users, the company said it would give preference to those who live or work near the area and are existing customers.
• Blue areas indicate available outdoor coverage
• Purple areas indicate available indoor coverage
• Coverage for the Jurong East MRT Station and Bus Interchange is scheduled to be available in November 2015
In the past year, MyRepublic has been bidding to enter the fray and challenge Singtel, StarHub and M1 amid tougher competition in the market.
It got a boost last month, when the government regulator proposed a steep discount for a chunk of the airwaves needed by a new entrant to run its mobile services.
Should it get its license to be the fourth mobile operator here, MyRepublic also promised to give its existing broadband customers free subscriptions to unlimited local mobile data for 12 months.
Folks who sign up for the company’s fibre broadband services by September 30 will also qualify for the free offer.
Those who want to join the mobile trial can sign up online.
