giga

Edit 18/05: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Giga as an MVNO. It is not. It is an independent sub-brand created by StarHub to capture the market space that MVNOs operate in. Essentially, it's the MVNO killer. The following article has been corrected to reflect this with an updated statement from Giga.

Singapore is a small little island with an increasingly crowded telco market. If you think that three major telcos (with a fourth on its way), and four mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) isn't already saturating the market enough, StarHub has just launched a new all-digital service called​ Giga.

As comparisons with Singtel's GOMO service will undoubtedly crop up, this is what a Giga spokesperson had to say to us on the matter, "​​​​​​giga! Is totally independent of the StarHub brand. We have our our platforms, own customer support channels, own payment gateway, own ID verification platform."

Giga offers only a single plan: $25 for 25GB of data. What makes it compelling is that Giga is also offering 1,000 free SMS, 1,000 minutes of free talk time, free caller ID, free incoming calls AND 2-month rollover data! This means if you don't finish your data for any billing month, it can be carried forward at maximum for the next two months. And as an icing on the cake, no contracts. As a launch promotion, all new signups before 18th June will get 1 month free subscription.

Additional data can be purchased on the fly in 1GB increments for $2 per 1GB. If you're a heavy Facebook/Instagram or Whatsapp user, you can purchase specific data packs tied to those apps at just $1 per 1GB. They also have an interesting Roaming option called Jetset giga! where you can buy 1GB of data for $5 that can be used in any of the 14 countries listed below on any network. It's not a very expansive list sure, but it can be quite useful if you travel within Asia alot.

Giga is positioning itself as a fully digital service, which means it will not have any physical presence, conducting business entirely through its mobile app. To do this, Giga will be the first mobile operator to implement Digital ID verification.

To sign up for the Giga service, you can download the Giga app right now, and follow the on-screen instructions (if you can't find it yet, here are the direct links: App Store or Google Play). You'll need your NRIC or Passport ready at this point as the app will ask you to take a picture of your ID and a selfie. This process is to match your face with that of your ID and ensure that you who you say you are during the sign-up process, and not using someone else's ID. You will also need to have a valid credit card to complete your sign up. Subsequent billing will be made to this credit card as well.

When you're done, Giga will courier over your SIM card. They've partnered with GOGOVAN for this delivery service, and according to Giga, all SIM cards are supposed to be delivered within 24 hours. You can even track the delivery process through the app in real time.