Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SGX: T48, ASX: sgt), commonly abbreviated as SingTel, is Asia's leading telecommunications company, with a combined mobile subscriber base of 249.4 million customers from its own operations and regional associates at the end of March 2009 [1]. SingTel provides ISP (SingNet), IPTV (mio TV), mobile phone and fixed line telephony services.
SingTel has expanded aggressively outside its home market and owns shares in many regional operators, including 100% of the second largest Australian telco, Optus, which was acquired in 2000 from Cable & Wireless and other shareholders of Optus, and Bharti Airtel, the largest telco in India.
SingTel is the largest company by market capitalization listed on the Singapore Exchange and is majority owned by Temasek Holdings.
History
In 1879, three years after Alexander Graham Bell patented his telephone invention, Bennet Pell started a private telephone exchange in Singapore that had 50 lines.[2].
In 1955, the Singapore Telephone Board (STB) was incorporated as a statutory board with exclusive rights to operate telephone service within Singapore. This was followed by the merger of STB and Telecommunications Authority of Singapore (TAS) in 1974. Up until that time, STB was responsible for local services, while TAS provided international services. 1982 saw the merger of the Postal Department with Telecoms.
In March 1992, SingTel was incorporated and became a public company in October 1993. SingTel currently remains as Singapore’s largest IPO. It was listed on the Singapore Exchange in November 1993 and on the Australian Stock Exchange in September 2001.[3]
In April 2001, SingTel was awarded a 3G licence.
In May 2003, SingTel sold 60% of Singapore Post (SingPost) in an Initial Public Offering in an effort to focus on its core telecommunications services business.[4]
In June 2003, SingTel divested its stakes in Yellow Pages, its directory business to CVC Asia Pacific and J.P. Morgan Partners Asia for S$220 million.[5]
In July 2003, SingTel announced that it has appointed Ericsson as the vendor for its 3G network in Singapore.
In February 2005, SingTel launched its commercial 3G services.
In September 2008, SingTel was the title sponsor of the inaugural Formula One night race in Singapore.
Management
Board of Directors
- Chairman: Chumpol NaLamlieng
- Group CEO, SingTel: Chua Sock Koong
- Chairman, HDFC Bank: Deepak S Parekh
- Founder, HOPU Investment Management Co.: Dominic Chiu Fai Ho
- Chairman, HSBC Bank Australia: Graham John Bradley
- Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore: Heng Swee Keat
- Director, ANZ Banking Group: John Powell Morschel
- CEO, Credit Suisse, Asia Pacific: Kaikhushru Nargolwala
- Director, Fraser and Neave: Nicky Tan Ng Kuang
- Executive Director, Temasek Holdings: Simon Israel
- Chairman, Great Eastern Life: Fang Ai Lian
Senior Management
- Group CEO: Chua Sock Koong
- Group CFO: Jeann Low
- Group CIO: Ng Yoke Weng
- CEO Singapore: Allen Lew
- CEO International: Lim Chuan Poh
- CEO SingTel Optus: Paul O'Sullivan
Global Offices
SingTel has 37 offices in 19 countries located throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the US, and is able to provide expanded reach and offer high quality, seamless services to its customers across all regions.
Network and Infrastructure
SingTel has a well-established and extensive communications network and infrastructure in Singapore and Australia. The Group’s advanced mobile networks cover 100% and 94% of the Singapore and Australian populations respectively. In addition, the Group has interests in about 50 submarine cables with landing points in more than 50 locations in Asia. It is a major investor in many of the world's most sophisticated submarine cable systems, such as SEA-ME-WE 3, SEA-ME-WE 4, APCN, APCN 2, China-US, Japan-US, C2C, i2i and Southern Cross. [6].
Subsidiaries
The SingTel group of companies includes subsidiaries, associated companies, as well as shareholdings in overseas entities. Its mainstay is in the mobile phone industry, where it has a total subscription base of 249.4 million as of 31 March 2009 [7]:
Other members of the SingTel group include the two wholly owned subsidiaries of SingNet, a wholly owned internet service provider, and NCS, an information technology and communications engineering services provider. Associated companies include the Singapore Post, which was formerly a subsidiary until its separate listing on the Singapore Exchange in May 2003 and the New Century Infocomm of Taiwan which SingTel has a 24.5% stake. SingTel also owns 20.33% stake in Hong Kong's APT Satellite.
References
External links
Subsidiaries
