Singtel Wants to Join Telco Consolidation in Singapore

Singtel is seeking clarification from regulators on joining Singapore's telco consolidation after M1 and Simba's merger failed.

If allowed, Singtel will look for opportunities to help the industry in Singapore.

Singtel's CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said this at a media conference after releasing Singtel's financial results for the year ended March 31, 2026.

When asked about anti-trust concerns, Mr Yuen said regulators should be asked about this.

He said they will consider acquiring another telco but the regulator should be asked.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority suspended Simba's acquisition of M1 due to a potential regulatory breach.

IMDA is investigating Simba for using unassigned radio frequency bands for mobile services.

Keppel, M1's parent company, will let the sale agreement with Simba lapse and seek new buyers.

Keppel believes the telco industry in Singapore needs consolidation.

Singtel's CEO Yuen said having four telco operators is not sustainable and welcomes consolidation.

Singtel has been seeking to participate in consolidation but could not before.

Singtel is open to working with partners to develop its Australian subsidiary Optus.

The company is looking for a local partner to own a minority stake in Optus.

Mr Yuen said Singtel usually looks for local partners when investing overseas.

He said it's not a new decision, but they are letting the market know.

If there are serious partners, Singtel will make an announcement.

The chief financial officer said Singtel is disclosing this due to Singapore Exchange requirements.

He clarified that they are not close to signing any deal.

Challenges in Australia are separate from seeking an Australian partner.

Singtel wants to find partners who can bring value and know the country.

Mr Yuen said they want a partner who is Australian and can bring value.

Singtel's focus is on building a reliable network after recent outages in Singapore.

While penalties are painful, Singtel's priority is meeting customer expectations.

Singtel Singapore CEO Ng Tian Chong said they have been modernizing their network.

They take responsibility for the outages and have learned from them.

Singtel will continue to modernize to support Singapore's future in AI and robotics.

They have fixed the issues and will prioritize resiliency.

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