M1 launches '002' premium IDD service with highly competitive rates

M1's more than 680,000 post-paid and pre-paid customers can now place international calls to over 230 countries with the launch of M1's '002' premium International Direct Dialling (IDD) service tomorrow.

M1's '002' enters the IDD market with the most competitive package in Singapore for premium IDD service. Rates are lower than the market by as much as 40%. There are primarily two features of this premium service that distinguish it from the competition.

Firstly, M1 is the only IDD operator to offer non-peak rates to the 25 most popular IDD destinations. These destinations include Indonesia, China, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Even with the addition of mobile airtime charges, M1 customers will find that it actually costs less to call these destinations from their mobile phones than from a fixed line during non-peak hours. Other operators offer either a flat rate at all times of the day, or off-peak rates to selected destinations, including some of the less popular ones.

Secondly, the IDD peak and non-peak hours will follow M1's current easy-to- remember mobile timing. Both IDD and mobile non-peak hours are from 7pm to 9am, Mondays to Fridays and all weekends. Hence, customers do not have to remember multiple time zones for different countries. Also, they get to enjoy the longest non-peak hours for IDD which they have been enjoying for mobile all along.

The launch of this much anticipated '002' service affirms M1's commitment to provide convenience, quality and the best value to its customers, especially in the wake of SingTel's and StarHub's decisions to terminate resale of their international call services to M1 recently.

"Our customers can rest assured that there will be absolutely no disruption to the IDD facility that they are currently enjoying. From tomorrow, all they need to do is to press the GSM access code '+' or '002' to access the M1 IDD service. I am confident that M1 customers will find our premium IDD rates the most competitive and we remain committed to providing the level of quality and service that they have come to associate with M1," said Neil Montefiore, M1's Chief Executive Officer.

"In venturing into the highly focused and competitive IDD business, we have set our sights on becoming a major player and will spare no effort to be at the forefront of the IDD business in terms of technology, quality and cost," added Mr Montefiore.

The '002' service is currently available only to M1 customers, but it will be made available to the rest of Singapore by the end of the year. M1's published IDD rates can be found on the M1 website at http://www.m1.com.sg. Customers can also dial the customer service hotline at 1627 for assistance.

M1, Singapore's most exciting and innovative mobile and paging service provider, is a consortium of the Keppel Group, Singapore Press Holdings, Cable & Wireless and Cable & Wireless HKT.

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