Can it get lower?

[ecureilx]

...and the rest of the world has also stopped charging for incoming calls as long as I can remember. Even third world countries don't do that any more. What's the rational behind charging for incoming calls anyway?!

In SG aw incoming come from abroad right, tiny island in a big sea, so muss chadge, or how the gahmenr make plofit then ah?

gahmen ? all telco private or public listed mate. . (or so it's supposed to be.. )

oh, about the rational for charging, to quote a minister, willing buyer, willing seller ?? after all, Singaporeans and the residents here are willing to pay ..

Heck, I don't remember any prepaid, in any nearby country charging incoming .. unlike in SG ..

and for the Small print of Fee incoming, some are even nice .. Free Caller Id, Free X, Free Y (and in small print - for 6 months .. )

[zzm9980]

There is also the lack of advertising standards. I remember seeing those posters for prepaid cards with slogans like "free incoming calls," only to discover in the small print online that they're only free if you pay for them... to be free. Lol.

...and the rest of the world has also stopped charging for incoming calls as long as I can remember. Even third world countries don't do that any more. What's the rational behind charging for incoming calls anyway?!

Only third world telecoms like those in Singapore and USA do this. It's even worse when you're roaming!

[aster]

...and the rest of the world has also stopped charging for incoming calls as long as I can remember. Even third world countries don't do that any more. What's the rational behind charging for incoming calls anyway?!

"If we all decide to do it, we can get away with it." Same with roaming rates. Same with pretty much most rates here.

Happens in other countries as well to be honest. I remember when three companies carved up the market and kept things very comfortable for themselves, but when a fourth player joined the game prices ended up tumbling 80%, much to the dismay of the original three operators who

[x9200]

@aster, from my rather, admittedly, limited experience with the business telecom plans in Singapore I have noticed something strange: the quality of the service is much higher for the end consumer product than for the small companies. I (a consumer) have a number of singtel products and over 10y or so I recall 1 more serious failure. For the mentioned business ADSL line, a single plan, they failed as per my standards already few good times. All their failures were of non-technical nature. Still among all these plans this one is the most expensive. It almost looks like the whole marketing structure/strategy is built around an assumption that people in small companies are:
a) idiots
b) illiterate (any aspect)
c) we, the mighty provider, don't care to show we think (a) and (b)

Again, while a and b may be true too some extent (pragmatic perspective), one would expect a national SP to follow some standards and not lower their marketing trick below certain levels.

[ecureilx]

b) illiterate (any aspect)
c) we, the mighty provider, don't care to show we think (a) and (b)

Again, while a and b may be true too some extent (pragmatic perspective), one would expect a national SP to follow some standards and not lower their marketing trick below certain levels.

having worked with sales people, when i was in a second Tier ISP (yes, such a thing existed in SG before .. ) mostly it was B - as how our sales .. but the Larger ISPs were treating anybody like in C .. including US ..

You should listen to sales people talk ..

Client: "Why is it I have to buy x and y equipment, and computer, when I only need an internet connection ?"

Sales person: "it is alll a package, if you don't want x and y, the price will be 10 times of the current monthly subscription we are offering you .. "

When we were dealing with larger ISPs

Us: "Why do we need to pay for cabling charges, when we already have the cable, and you only need to turn on the circuit at your MUX on our existing circuit .. ? and in that case you could waive us the 1,500 $ cabling charge .. "

ISP: "It is our standard process to lay cable for every new line .. " (end result, we have a spaghetti of cables all over our Termination box)

[JR8]

all telco private or public listed mate. . (or so it's supposed to be.. )

'SingTel is also the largest company by market capitalisation listed on the Singapore Exchange and is majority owned by Temasek Holdings, the investment arm of the Singapore government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Telecom

[x9200]

having worked with sales people, when i was in a second Tier ISP (yes, such a thing existed in SG before .. ) mostly it was B - as how our sales .. but the Larger ISPs were treating anybody like in C .. including US ..

You should listen to sales people talk ..

Client: "Why is it I have to buy x and y equipment, and computer, when I only need an internet connection ?"

Sales person: "it is alll a package, if you don't want x and y, the price will be 10 times of the current monthly subscription we are offering you .. "

When we were dealing with larger ISPs

Us: "Why do we need to pay for cabling charges, when we already have the cable, and you only need to turn on the circuit at your MUX on our existing circuit .. ? and in that case you could waive us the 1,500 $ cabling charge .. "

ISP: "It is our standard process to lay cable for every new line .. " (end result, we have a spaghetti of cables all over our Termination box)

Yeah, sounds too familiar.
With practically any service around actually.

BTW, I wonder what is the extent of SMEs using consumer plans running their businesses.

[ecureilx]

Yeah, sounds too familiar.
With practically any service around actually.

BTW, I wonder what is the extent of SMEs using consumer plans running their businesses.

Very few, if at all any

For any Circuit to a Office address, Singtel and Starhub will not allow consumer plans, or insist it will not go .. unless you go to LGA, Qala, ViewQwest and the likes

The good news is most SME's blindly believe the likes of Singtel and all don't lie .. so they must be giving the best advice (i.e. makes the sales person richer .. )

Sometime ago, in a large Telco, there was a friend working as a sales person for corporate circuits .. after a couple of Tigers, I asked her how she finds customers .. she gave me this wierd look and said "if they company name starts with LMNOP - it is mine .. "

And she was a 'top performer' in that company ..

Figure that out ..

[aster]

If I move into a new apartment can I sign a contract with a telco just for like 6 months to begin with, or do they all require 2 yrs?

[ecureilx]

If I move into a new apartment can I sign a contract with a telco just for like 6 months to begin with, or do they all require 2 yrs?

for what again ?

if less than 2 years, you need to pay for the devices, etc.

sign a 2 year plan, and almost everything is thrown in .. supposedly ..