Martin's virtual lair

This article is intended as a rough overview of the mobile networks, broadband and public WiFi spots in Singapore.

Mobile phones and networks

The country code of Singapore is 65. If you don't want to roam on your existing mobile tariff, you can easily purchase a local prepaid SIM. Right after leaving the security zone of the airport you can find booths of the local companies (M1, StarHub and SingTel) or money exchange booths which also sell prepaid cards. Prepaid SIMs can be topped up at most ATM machines as well as convenience stores and shops. The SIM cards do however expire after some time without topping-up. For example, the prepaid SIM of StarHub as well as the money stored on it will irrevocably expire after 6 months without topping up. Each top-up will renew the validity period for another 6 months. Topping up from abroad is easy too.

Mobile internet

With a regular Singaporean prepaid card the usage of mobile internet can be pretty expensive (S$5 per MB at StarHub), and even more so on international roaming (e.g. £6/MB with a UK SIM from O2). Rather you should look for specific offers tailored to mobile internet usage on smartphones and laptops, even though there aren't that many for prepaid customers. Currently the most interesting offers are:

• M1's offer is called M1 Prepaid Broadband. This works like a regular prepaid SIM, but possibly without phoning capabilities (I'm not sure). You can purchase different hour or days plans of unlimited mobile internet, ranging from S$5 to S$30, all with a speed of 7.2Mbps. The SIM will expire 90 days after the last top-up. To set up your device for the SIM you need to configure the Access Point Name (APN) setting of your phone to "prepaidbb".
• StarHub's MaxMobile Prepaid offer can be used either as a SIM card for your mobile or for getting your laptop online by bundling the SIM with an USB stick. There are lots of choices, e.g. whether to buy SIM only or SIM&USB stick, two different speeds (2.0Mbps or 7.2Mbps), and price plans ranging from 1 hour to 7 days (detailed price list). The fair usage policy is very generous with 2GB per day. This highly competitive offer has one big disadvantage: It is not possible to make voice calls with this SIM card, just SMS and internet. Of course, this hardly matters if you need the SIM for your laptop. The APN setting is "shppd" and the Authentication Access Number is "*99#" (without the quotes). This SIM will expire 6 months after the last top-up.

My personal favourite is StarHub's MaxMobile Prepaid SIM with 2.0Mbps. While the 3G network coverage of Singapore is excellent, it is not always fast and reliable, and thus it makes little sense to pay more for 7.2Mbps that are seldom reached. The unlimited 7-day plan with 2.0Mbps currently costs S$15 which is a good offer for the standards of prepaid mobile broadband.

Free WiFi

Singapore is covered by an extensive network of free WiFi spots at shopping centres, bus stops, Changi airport, and so on. The network name is Wireless@SG, and the hotspots are operated by different companies (iCELL, M1 and SingTel). However the mandatory registration process can prove tricky for non-residents, because a Singaporean mobile number and/or Singaporean ID number is generally required during the online registration process. An option to register as a visitor is usually available too, but this way the access might not be free.

(last update: 22 August 2010)