The Singapore telecoms service provider also admitted it was behind the #3dollarballer cash vending machine marketing stunt on Wednesday, which was cut short due to safety considerations.

SINGAPORE: Circles.Life on Thursday (Mar 1) announced it will be launching a new daily unlimited mobile data plan and an add-on service to use WhatsApp in 18 countries, as well as its expansion plans.



The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which leases capacity from M1’s mobile network, said its customers can sign up for the daily unlimited data plan at 4G+ speeds for S$3 each day, on top of the S$28 base plan which comes with 6GB of data. Speeds “will be managed” after 100GB of usage per month, as part of its fair use policy, it added in its press release.





Customers can turn it on any time via the mobile dashboard, the company said. It told Channel NewsAsia in a separate email that the daily plan can be activated at any time, but will automatically turn off at 11.59pm on the day it was activated.



The company also took aim at the other unlimited data plans in the market currently, saying these are “limiting the customers instead of empowering them”.

“Unlimited plans should not be limited to weekend usage, be throttled after hitting a small data cap or be tied to annual contracts. They also should not be available only to consumers with deep pockets,” it said in its press release.



Currently, Singtel offers unlimited data plans to its Combo 3, 6 and 12 subscribers at an additional S$39.90, while M1 has its S$98-a-month plan for SIM-only subscribers. StarHub, meanwhile, offers free unlimited data on weekends to users who signed up for one of its five postpaid plans unveiled last August.



Additionally, the MVNO is also offering a WhatsApp Passport add on where subscribers get unlimited roaming for the messaging app at S$1 per day. The 18 markets in this scheme are: Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia, USA, UK, India, Italy, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Korea, New Zealand, Germany, Macau, Cambodia, Turkey, Taiwan and Bangladesh.



New subscribers who sign up in March will be able to try out the service free for one month, the service provider said. This is an extension of the “try-before-you-buy” model called Circles Switch it launched last October.

Asked if these offerings required it to acquire additional capacity from M1, Circles.Life said agreement terms are confidential and cannot be shared. It did note that with any product, the company ensures that it is “financially viable for launch and to support on an ongoing basis”.



The launch of these services came on the heels of its #3dollarballer marketing stunt – the telco claimed responsibility at noon on Thursday - which saw people receiving S$50 when they inserted S$3 into a “vending machine”. It appeared to have caught people’s attention as hundreds gathered at Raffles Place on Wednesday during lunch-time trying to get in on the action, which resulted in the organiser calling a halt to proceedings. The second event that day at 313@Somerset didn’t materialise either, with the telco citing the fact that all the S$50 notes were redeemed.

The telecoms service provider also revealed expansion plans, saying it will be launching in Indonesia by the second half of this year.



“Entry in Indonesia is unique because while many have tried, we are the only ones able to enter soon,” said co-founder and director Rameez Ansar. “That’s why to win in this market we believe we must start with the foundation of innovation and focus on the customer experience, addressing the needs of data savvy customers.”



It plans to offer a “fully digital mobile platform” similar to what is offered in Singapore, he added, but did not go into further details.