1987

CONSUMER AWARENESS AND

SATISFACTION SURVEY 2014

October 2014

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore

10 Pasir Panjang Road

#10-01 Mapletree Business City

Singapore 117438

Tel: (65) 6211 0888

Fax: (65) 6211 2222

Website: www.ida.gov.sg Copyright © 2014 IDA

All rights reserved. No part of this material may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or

reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, photography, magnetic or other

record, without the prior agreement and written permission of the Infocomm Development Authority of

Singapore.

Notwithstanding the above, part or parts of this publication may be used with the proper

acknowledgement of its source without having to first obtain the prior agreement and written

permission of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.

http://www.ida.gov.sg/

IDA CONSUMER AWARENESS AND SATISFACTION SURVEY 2014

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 4

SURVEY METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 4

SURVEY FINDINGS.......................................................................................................... 5

1 FIXED LINE TELEPHONE SERVICES ......................................................................... 5 1.1 Subscription ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.2 Attitude towards Fixed Line as a Necessity ........................................................................ 6 1.3 Satisfaction with Fixed Line Telephone Services ................................................................ 6

2 MOBILE TELEPHONE SERVICES .............................................................................. 7 2.1 Subscription ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Awareness of Terms and Conditions ................................................................................... 8 2.3 Ability to Replace Fixed Line Telephone Services ............................................................. 9 2.4 Satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Services ..................................................................... 9

3 FIXED BROADBAND SERVICES ............................................................................ 11 3.1 Subscription .......................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Awareness of Terms and Conditions ................................................................................. 12 3.3 Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband .................................................................................... 13

4 MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICES ........................................................................ 15 4.1 Subscription .......................................................................................................................... 15 4.2 Awareness of Terms and Conditions ................................................................................. 17 4.3 Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband ................................................................................. 17 4.4 Ability to Replace Fixed Line Broadband Services .......................................................... 19 4.5 Data Usage Bill Cap ............................................................................................................ 20 4.6 Excess Data Usage Charges .............................................................................................. 21 4.7 Switching to WIFI at Home .................................................................................................. 21

5 INTERNATIONAL ROAMING ................................................................................ 22 5.1 Awareness and Usage ........................................................................................................ 22 5.2 Satisfaction with International Roaming ........................................................................... 23 5.3 Mobile Roaming Charges................................................................................................... 24 5.4 Alternatives to International Roaming .............................................................................. 24 5.5 Data Roaming ...................................................................................................................... 25

6 PAYPHONE SERVICES .......................................................................................... 27 6.1 Usage of Payphone Services ............................................................................................. 27 6.2 Frequency of Usage ............................................................................................................ 28 6.3 Attitude towards Payphone as a Necessity ..................................................................... 29

7 CUSTOMER CARE SERVICES ............................................................................... 31 7.1 Satisfaction with Operators’ Customer Care Services .................................................... 31 7.2 Suggestions for Improvement ............................................................................................ 32


3

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1-1 : Fixed Line Telephone Subscription ....................................................................................... 5 Figure 1-2 : Fixed Line Telephone Subscription by Housing Type ........................................................ 5 Figure 1-3 : Agreement on whether Fixed Line was still a Necessity by Housing Type ................... 6 Figure 1-4 : Satisfaction with Fixed Line Telephone Services (Mean Score) ..................................... 6 Figure 2-1 : Mobile Telephone Services Subscription ............................................................................ 7 Figure 2-2 : Mobile Telephone Services Subscription by Age .............................................................. 7 Figure 2-3 : Mobile Telephone Services Subscription by Housing Type ............................................. 8 Figure 2-4 : Awareness of Terms and Conditions for Post-paid and Pre-paid plans ....................... 8 Figure 2-5 : Ability to replace Fixed Line with Mobile Telephone Services ....................................... 9 Figure 2-6 : Satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Services (Mean Score) .......................................... 9 Figure 2-7 : Satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Services (Mean Score by Service Provider) .... 10 Figure 3-1 : Fixed Broadband Services Subscription ............................................................................ 11 Figure 3-2 : Fixed Broadband Services Subscription by Housing Type ............................................. 11 Figure 3-3 : Reasons for Not Subscribing to Fixed Broadband Service ............................................ 12 Figure 3-4 : Awareness of Terms and Conditions for Fixed Broadband Service ............................ 12 Figure 3-5 : Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband Services (Mean Score) .......................................... 13 Figure 3-6 : Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband Services (Mean Score by Service Provider) ...... 13 Figure 3-7 : Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband Speed (Mean Score by Service Provider) ......... 14 Figure 4-1 : Mobile Broadband Services Subscription ........................................................................ 15 Figure 4-2 : Mobile Broadband Services Subscription by Age .......................................................... 15 Figure 4-3 : Mobile Broadband Services Subscription by Housing Type .......................................... 16 Figure 4-4 : Reasons for Not Subscribing to Mobile Broadband Service ......................................... 16 Figure 4-5 : Awareness of Terms and Conditions for Mobile Broadband Service ......................... 17 Figure 4-6 : Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband Services (Mean Score) ....................................... 17 Figure 4-7 : Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband Services (Mean Score by Service Provider) ... 18 Figure 4-8 : Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband Speed (Mean Score) ......................................... 18 Figure 4-9 : Ability to Replace Fixed Broadband with Mobile Broadband Services ..................... 19 Figure 4-10 : Top Reasons for Being Able to replace Fixed Broadband Services.......................... 19 Figure 4-11 : Top Reasons for Not Being Able to replace Fixed Broadband Services .................. 20 Figure 4-12 : Awareness of local data usage bill cap ........................................................................ 20 Figure 4-13 : Awareness of the amount charged for excess mobile broadband data usage .. 21 Figure 4-14 : Do you switch to Fixed Broadband via WIFI on mobile devices when at home? . 21 Figure 5-1 : Awareness and Usage of Conventional Roaming Services ......................................... 22 Figure 5-2 : Awareness of Conventional Roaming Services by Age................................................ 22 Figure 5-3 : Usage of Conventional Roaming Services by Age ........................................................ 23 Figure 5-4 : Satisfaction with International Roaming (Mean Score) ................................................ 23 Figure 5-5 : Awareness of and Likelihood to Check International Mobile Roaming Charges ... 24 Figure 5-6 : Awareness of Alternatives to International Roaming .................................................... 24 Figure 5-7 : Awareness of Ability to Disable International Data Roaming ...................................... 25 Figure 5-8 : Awareness of Data Roaming Plans with Flat Rates for Data Usage ........................... 25 Figure 5-9 : Awareness of Ability to Activate Data Roaming Cap ................................................... 26 Figure 6-1 : Usage of Payphone Services .............................................................................................. 27 Figure 6-2 : Usage of Payphone Services by Age ............................................................................... 27 Figure 6-3 : Usage of Payphone Services by Housing Type ............................................................... 28 Figure 6-4 : Frequency of Payphone Usage ......................................................................................... 28 Figure 6-5 : Opinion on whether Payphone was Still a Necessity ..................................................... 29 Figure 6-6 : Opinion on whether Payphone was Still a Necessity by Housing Type ...................... 29 Figure 6-7 : Reasons for Payphones still being Necessary .................................................................. 30 Figure 6-8 : Reasons for Payphones Not being Necessary ................................................................ 30 Figure 7-1 : Hotline Waiting Time to speak to a Customer Service Officer (Mean Score) ........... 31 Figure 7-2 : Time Taken to Resolve Complaint (Mean Score) ........................................................... 31 Figure 7-3 : Competency of Customer Service Officer (Mean Score) ............................................ 32 Figure 7-4 : Customer Care – Suggestions / Improvements .............................................................. 32


4

INTRODUCTION

The Consumer Awareness and Satisfaction Survey 2014 (CASS 2014) is a study that aims to measure

and track shifts in the perception of selected telecommunication services in Singapore. Local

consumers were asked about their awareness, as well as subscription or usage patterns, of the

telecommunication services. In addition, they were queried on their satisfaction with the services that

they had used, specifically in terms of the quality of service, price competitiveness of the service

offerings, variety of services available given the range of products and services currently offered in the

market, and customer service rendered by the service providers.

CASS 2014 is the fifth survey carried out by IDA since the full liberalisation of the Singapore

telecommunication market in year 2000. The last survey was conducted in 2010. Comparisons with

the previous survey findings are provided where available and appropriate. New services such as

mobile broadband Internet services are also included in this round of survey given their growing

popularity.

The scope of the telecommunication services surveyed includes:

A. Fixed Line Telephone

B. Mobile Telephone

C. Fixed Broadband

D. Mobile Broadband

E. International Roaming

F. Payphone

G. Customer Care Services

Feedback on newer operators such as MyRepublic and ViewQwest was also received during the survey,

but due to the small sample sizes, they are omitted in this report.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

In total, 1,500 individuals from households all across Singapore were surveyed through door-to-door

interviews between 26th December 2013 and 14th March 2014. The selection of the 1,500 individuals

was conducted using a two-stage stratified design:

a) a sample of 1,500 households was selected from the Household Sampling Frame maintained

by the Department of Statistics, and

b) from each sampled households, an individual was randomly selected for the survey.

To be eligible for the survey, the individual had to be a Singapore Citizen or Singapore PR, aged 18 and

above, and a resident of the household.


5

SURVEY FINDINGS

1 FIXED LINE TELEPHONE SERVICES

1.1 Subscription

Subscription to fixed line telephone services has declined over the last 9 years, with a significant drop

in 2014. Nevertheless, subscription amongst the respondents remained high at 87.5% (Figure 1-1).

Figure 1-1 : Fixed Line Telephone Subscription

92.2% 90.7% 90.0%87.5%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

CASS 2005 CASS 2007 CASS 2010 CASS 2014

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Figure 1-2 shows a breakdown of fixed line telephone subscription by housing type over the past 7

years. Subscription remained fairly consistent across most housing types since 2010 except among

respondents staying in HDB 1-2 room flats, which saw a significant drop in fixed line telephone

subscription (Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-2 : Fixed Line Telephone Subscription by Housing Type

53%

85%93% 95% 91% 91%

52%

85%92% 91% 92% 97%

78%

98% 100%

35%

81%89%

93% 90%95%

HDB 1-2-Rm Flat HDB 3-Rm Flat HDB 4-Rm Flat HDB 5-Rm or

Executive Flat

Condominiums or

Private Flat

Landed Property Others

CASS 07 CASS 10 CASS 14%

(N=8) (N=13)

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts


6

1.2 Attitude towards Fixed Line as a Necessity

Majority of respondents felt that fixed line telephone was still a necessity in their lives, although there

was a slight reduction in this sentiment in 2014. As compared to 2010, respondents staying in HDB 1-

2-room flats or condominiums were significantly less likely to agree that fixed line telephone was still a

necessity in their lives, as shown in Figure 1-3.

Figure 1-3 : Agreement on whether Fixed Line was still a Necessity by Housing Type

13.3%25.8%

13.4% 12.8% 16.6% 12.7% 17.6%22.7%

12.1% 15.4%7.0%

8.0%

24.3%

9.8% 14.5% 11.9% 15.0% 8.8%13.1% 12.3%

16.8%

9.9%14.9%

20.5%

78.7%

49.9%

76.8% 72.8% 71.4% 72.3% 73.6%67.7% 70.1%

60.5%

78.0%69.7% 72.0% 72.5%

28.0%19.2%17.6%

Disagree Neutral Agree%

HDB 1-2 Rm

HDB 3 Rm HDB 4 Rm HDB 5 Rm Condominiums or Private Flat

Landed Property Other

1410CASS: (N=6) (N=13)

(N=25)

% o

f Fi

xed

Lin

e Su

bsc

rib

ers

1.3 Satisfaction with Fixed Line Telephone Services

Fixed line telephone subscribers were generally satisfied with the service. They were mostly satisfied

with the service quality, which achieved a mean satisfaction of 4.12. Also, satisfaction with price

competitiveness was similarly high, scoring 3.82 (Figure 1-4).

Figure 1-4 : Satisfaction with Fixed Line Telephone Services (Mean Score)

4.123.82

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

Quality of Service Price Competitiveness

CASS 14

Mea

nSa

tisf

acti

on

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied


7

2 MOBILE TELEPHONE SERVICES

2.1 Subscription

After a sharp increase from 2005 to 2007, the growth in mobile telephone subscription1 has slowed

down in the last 7 years, with 93.9% of respondents subscribed to mobile telephone services in 2014

(Figure 2-1).

Figure 2-1 : Mobile Telephone Services Subscription

81.9%

90.9% 92.4% 93.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Figure 2-2 provides a breakdown of mobile telephone subscription by age over the past 7 years. Since

2007, subscription remained close to 100% for respondents below 40 years old. In addition, whilst

subscription for those 40 years or older was not as high, it had continued to increase – in particular,

compared to 2010, respondents 60 years or above had a significant increase from 68% to 76% (Figure

2-2).

Figure 2-2 : Mobile Telephone Services Subscription by Age

83%

91%

68%

93%98%99%100%

66%

89%92%

100% 100% 99%100%99% 96%97%92%

100%100%95%

99%

76%

96%98%100%100%100%100% 100%

18-19 years 20-24 years 25-29 years 30-34 years 35-39 years 40-44 years 45-49 years 50-54 years 55-59 years 60 years and

above


% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

1 Subscription is by respondent, rather than by number of lines. Hence, subscription rates will not exceed 100% in this survey.


8

Figure 2-3 shows the breakdown of subscription of mobile telephone by housing type. Compared to

2010, there was a significant increase in mobile telephone subscription among respondents who stayed

in HDB 1-2 room flats and a significant decrease among those who stayed in landed property (Figure

2-3).

Figure 2-3 : Mobile Telephone Services Subscription by Housing Type

75%

87% 90%94% 97%

85%

71%

85%93% 94% 96%

91%80%

99% 100%91% 88%

95% 95% 97%91%


Executive Flat

Condominiums or

Private Flat



(N=8) (N=13)

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

2.2 Awareness of Terms and Conditions

In general, mobile telephone subscribers displayed a high level of awareness regarding the terms of the

service. Regardless of whether they were using post-paid or pre-paid plans, subscribers’ awareness for

each aspect exceeded 75% (Figure 2-4).

Figure 2-4 : Awareness of Terms and Conditions for Post-paid and Pre-paid plans

94.6%

5.4%

Expiry Date Early Termination

Charge

CASS 14: Yes CASS 14: No

78.2%

93.9%

21.8%

6.1%

Contract Expiry Date Early Termination

Charge


% %

Post-paid Plan Pre-paid Plan

% o

f M

ob

ile T

elep

ho

ne

Sub

scri

ber

s


9

2.3 Ability to Replace Fixed Line Telephone Services

There was a substantial increase in respondents who felt that they could completely replace their fixed

line telephone with mobile telephone, and, correspondingly, respondents who felt they could not

replace their fixed line telephones declined significantly compared to 2010 (Figure 2-5).

Figure 2-5 : Ability to replace Fixed Line with Mobile Telephone Services

25.3%

18.8%16.6%

39.3%

31.5%

19.2%15.1%

34.2%

Yes, completely Yes, to a great

extent

Yes, slightly No, not at all

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

% o

f M

ob

ile T

elep

ho

ne

Sub

scri

ber

s

CASS 14:

% of “Yes” = 65.8%

2.4 Satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Services

Respondents were mostly still satisfied with quality of service despite the significant decrease in mean

score of satisfaction from 2010. On the other hand, satisfaction with price competitiveness and variety

of services remained fairly consistent compared to 2010 (Figure 2-6).

Figure 2-6 : Satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Services (Mean Score)

3.85

3.523.76

4.02

3.493.77

3.91

3.563.76

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

Quality of Service Price Competitiveness Variety of Services Available

CASS 07 CASS 10 CASS 14

Mea

nSa

tisf

acti

on

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied


10

Satisfaction with quality of service for M1 dropped significantly from 2010, while satisfaction with

price competitiveness of SingTel increased significantly compared to 2010 (Figure 2-7).

Figure 2-7 : Satisfaction with Mobile Telephone Services (Mean Score by Service Provider)

3.73 3.75 3.873.74 3.83 3.75

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel

Mobile

StarHub

Mobile

M1

3.373.53

3.693.48 3.60 3.67

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel

Mobile

StarHub

Mobile

M1

CASS 10 CASS 14CASS 10 CASS 14

4.01 3.95 4.093.98 3.85 3.82

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel

Mobile

StarHub

Mobile

M1


Mea

n S

atis

fact

ion

Sco

re


11

3 FIXED BROADBAND SERVICES

3.1 Subscription

Subscription to fixed broadband service2 continued to increase significantly over the past 9 years, with

almost 85% of respondents subscribed to fixed broadband in 2014 (Figure 3-1).

Figure 3-1 : Fixed Broadband Services Subscription

55.6%

75.3%81.1%

84.4%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Figure 3-2 provides a breakdown of fixed broadband subscription by housing type. Subscription was

observed to be highest among respondents staying in condominiums, which had increased

substantially from 2010. On the other hand, subscription was lowest among those living in HDB 1-2

room flats (Figure 3-2).

Figure 3-2 : Fixed Broadband Services Subscription by Housing Type

27%

64%

72%

85% 83%80%

25%

65%

83%87% 87% 89%

75%

92%

71%

30%

70%

84%91% 94% 91%


Executive Flat

Condominiums or

Private Flat



(N=8) (N=13)

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

2 Subscription is by respondent, rather than by number of lines. Hence, subscription rates will not exceed 100% in this survey.


12

Among respondents who did not subscribe to fixed broadband, their reasons for doing so remained

fairly consistent compared to 2010, with majority citing lack of need as the reason (Figure 3-3).

Figure 3-3 : Reasons for Not Subscribing to Fixed Broadband Service

24.5% 23.0%

28.8% 29.9%

14.2%

72.8%

0.0%

52.6%

13.7%18.3%15.8%

55.2%

No need Do not know how to use the

Internet

Too expensive Prefer to use mobile

broadband internet service


% o

f N

on

-su

bsc

rib

ers


Almost 80% of fixed broadband subscribers were aware of early termination charges, whereas only

55% knew about the expiry date of the service (Figure 3-4).

Figure 3-4 : Awareness of Terms and Conditions for Fixed Broadband Service

55.4%

79.8%

44.6%

20.2%

Contract Expiry Date Early Termination Charge

CASS 14: Yes CASS 14: No%

% o

f Fi

xed

Bro

adb

and

Su

bsc

rib

ers


13

3.3 Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband

From 2010 to 2014, satisfaction with service quality and variety of fixed broadband increased

significantly. Overall, close to 2 in 3 respondents expressed satisfaction with the 3 surveyed aspects of

the service (Figure 3-5).

Figure 3-5 : Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband Services (Mean Score)

3.753.49

3.743.45 3.47

3.633.58 3.543.75

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00



Mea

nSa

tisf

acti

on

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied

In 2014, satisfaction levels were broadly similar across the service providers. However, compared to

2010, SingNet saw significant increases in satisfaction with service quality and variety, while M1 had

significant increases in satisfaction with service quality and price competitiveness (Figure 3-6).

Figure 3-6 : Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband Services (Mean Score by Service Provider)

3.63 3.62 3.653.77 3.71 3.81

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingNet StarHub

Online

M1

3.44 3.483.30

3.55 3.483.73

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingNet StarHub

Online

M1


3.393.57

2.75

3.58 3.57 3.66

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingNet StarHub

Online

M1


(N=28) (N=28) (N=27)


14

In terms of satisfaction with the speed of their fixed broadband service, SingNet and M1 saw

substantial increases in satisfaction scores compared to 2010 while StarHub’s satisfaction score

remained fairly consistent (Figure 3-7).

Figure 3-7 : Satisfaction with Fixed Broadband Speed (Mean Score by Service Provider)

3.333.50

2.84

3.56 3.523.80

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingNet StarHub Online M1


(N=28)

Mea

nSa

tisf

acti

on

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied


15

4 MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICES

4.1 Subscription

Subscription to mobile broadband services3 was moderately high, with close to 65% of respondents

subscribed to mobile broadband on mobile phone (Figure 4-1). A breakdown of subscription by age

and by housing type is provided in Figure 4-2 and Figure 4-3 respectively.

Figure 4-1 : Mobile Broadband Services Subscription

3.5%

38.1%

64.3%

6.8%

20.2%

CASS 2010 CASS 2014

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Dongle

Mobile Phone Data

%

Dongle

Mobile Phone Data

TabletTablet not surveyed

previously

Subscription to mobile broadband services was generally high amongst younger respondents – above

80% for those aged 18-39 years old. A fall in subscription was observed as the age of the respondents

increased (Figure 4-2).

Figure 4-2 : Mobile Broadband Services Subscription by Age

84.4%87.0% 86.5%

82.6% 83.4%77.6% 75.4%

60.1%

49.8%

25.0%


above

CASS 14%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

3 Subscription is by respondent, rather than by number of lines / devices. Hence, subscription rates will not exceed 100% in this

survey.


16

Subscription was highest among private property dwellers and generally lower for those staying in

HDB 1- to 3-room flats (Figure 4-3)

Figure 4-3 : Mobile Broadband Services Subscription by Housing Type

71.0%

48.4% 50.1%

60.4%64.9%

77.6% 77.3%


Executive Flat

Condominiums or

Private Flat


CASS 14%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Among respondents who did not subscribe to mobile broadband services, almost 2 in 3 cited not

having a need for the service as the reason (Figure 4-4).

Figure 4-4 : Reasons for Not Subscribing to Mobile Broadband Service

38.8%

4.0%

12.8%

64.1%

I do not have a need for the

services

I do not know how to use

the services

The services are too

expensive

Others

CASS 14%

% o

f N

on

-su

bsc

rib

ers


17


More than 80% of mobile broadband subscribers were aware of the expiry date and early termination

charge of the service (Figure 4-5).

Figure 4-5 : Awareness of Terms and Conditions for Mobile Broadband Service

86.6%93.8%

13.4%6.2%

Contract Expiry Date Early Termination Charge


%

% o

f M

ob

ile B

road

ban

d

Sub

scri

ber

s

4.3 Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband

Respondents’ satisfaction with price competitiveness of mobile broadband was lower as compared to

the other 2 surveyed aspects, which both achieved mean scores of about 3.6 (Figure 4-6).

Figure 4-6 : Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband Services (Mean Score)

3.633.46

3.64

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00


CASS 14

Mea

nSa

tisf

acti

on

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied


18

Satisfaction levels were fairly consistent across service providers, although SingTel scored slightly

better than StarHub and M1 in service quality (Figure 4-7).

Figure 4-7 : Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband Services (Mean Score by Service Provider)

3.62 3.67 3.66

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel StarHub M1

3.41 3.49 3.52

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel StarHub M1

3.67 3.56 3.56

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel StarHub M1


CASS 14CASS 14

In 2014, about 2 in 3 respondents were satisfied with the experienced speed of their mobile broadband

in comparison to what was advertised, achieving a mean score of 3.55 (Figure 4-8).

Figure 4-8 : Satisfaction with Mobile Broadband Speed (Mean Score)

3.51 3.49

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

Mobile Phone Data Only Dongle Only

3.55

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

All Mobile Broadband

CASS 10 CASS 14

Mea

n S

atis

fact

ion

Sco

re


19

4.4 Ability to Replace Fixed Line Broadband Services

60.7% of mobile broadband subscribers felt that they could not replace fixed broadband with mobile

broadband (Figure 4-9).

Figure 4-9 : Ability to Replace Fixed Broadband with Mobile Broadband Services

10.3% 11.6%17.4%

60.7%

Yes, completely Yes, to a great

extent

Yes, slightly No, not at all

CASS 14

%

% o

f M

ob

ile B

road

ban

d

Sub

scri

ber

s

CASS 14:

% of “Yes” = 39.3%

The most common reasons cited for being able to replace fixed broadband were the portability and

convenience of using mobile broadband (Figure 4-10).

Figure 4-10 : Top Reasons for Being Able to replace Fixed Broadband Services

38.5%

5.8% 3.6%6.9%6.9%9.2%

33.4%

Mobile broadband

is portable so I canuse it anywhere

Mobile broadband

is convenient andeasy to use

I am seldom at

home / always onthe move

Mobile broadband

speed iscomparable to or

better than fixedbroadband

I don't or seldom

use, need, orsubscribe to fixed

broadband

Mobile

broadband's levelof functionality is

comparable to orbetter than fixed

broadband

I prefer mobile

broadband and/oruse it often or all

the time

CASS 14%

% o

f M

ob

ile B

road

ban

d

Sub

scri

ber

s


20

On the other hand, the faster speed of fixed broadband was the most cited reason for respondents’

inability to replace their fixed with mobile broadband (Figure 4-11).

Figure 4-11 : Top Reasons for Not Being Able to replace Fixed Broadband Services

42.4%

10.4% 9.2%10.5%11.7%13.9%16.9%

Fixed broadband

speed is faster

Fixed broadband is

cheaper /expensive when

exceed mobilebroadband cap

Fixed broadband

has a more stableand reliable

connection

I prefer to use

fixed broadband athome / need it for

other usagepurposes

Mobile broadband

has data cap orlow data capacity /

fixed broadband isunlimited, can

download more

Poor coverage of

mobile broadband

Mobile device

screen is too small

CASS 14%

% o

f M

ob

ile B

road

ban

d

Sub

scri

ber

s

4.5 Data Usage Bill Cap

81.5% of mobile broadband subscribers were aware of the local data usage bill cap that was applicable

to their mobile data services (Figure 4-12).

Figure 4-12 : Awareness of local data usage bill cap

81.5%

18.5%

Yes No

CASS 14

%

% o

f M

ob

ile B

road

ban

d

Sub

scri

ber

s


21

4.6 Excess Data Usage Charges

62.1% of mobile broadband subscribers were aware of the amount that they would be charged for

excess data usage on their mobile broadband plan. Also, only about 5% of all mobile broadband

subscribers were subscribed to an unlimited data usage plan (Figure 4-13).

Figure 4-13 : Awareness of the amount charged for excess mobile broadband data usage

62.1%

32.5%

5.4%

Yes Not Sure My plan comes with

unlimited data usage

CASS 14

%

% o

f M

ob

ile B

road

ban

d

Sub

scri

ber

s

4.7 Switching to WIFI at Home

About 80% of mobile broadband subscribers indicated that, when at home, they would switch to using

fixed broadband via WIFI for Internet access on their mobile devices instead of continuing to use

mobile broadband (Figure 4-14).

Figure 4-14 : Do you switch to Fixed Broadband via WIFI on mobile devices when at home?

80.6%

19.4%

Yes No

CASS 14

%

% o

f M

ob

ile B

road

ban

d

Sub

scri

ber

s


22

5 INTERNATIONAL ROAMING

5.1 Awareness and Usage

From 2010 to 2014, both respondents’ awareness and usage of conventional roaming services such as

roaming voice calls and SMSes declined. In 2014, about 3 in 4 respondents were aware of the service,

and about 2 in 5 had used it in the past 1 year (Figure 5-1).

Figure 5-1 : Awareness and Usage of Conventional Roaming Services

85.2%

50.1%

76.6%

40.6%

Aware Used

CASS 10 CASS 14%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Awareness of conventional roaming services such as roaming voice calls and SMSes declined among

respondents aged 20-39 and 55-59 years old (Figure 5-2).

Figure 5-2 : Awareness of Conventional Roaming Services by Age

88.5%93.1% 91.9% 92.3%

95.1%

83.7% 82.0%

61.7%

90.1%89.2%

70.7%

54.7%

81.1%

88.7%90.2%84.7%

80.7%78.7%81.8%87.0%

18-19 years 20-24 years 25-29 years 30-34 years 35-39 years 40-44 years 45-49 years 50-54 years 55-59 years 60 years andabove

CASS 10 CASS 14%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts


23

In terms of usage of conventional roaming services such as roaming calls and SMSes, respondents

aged 18 to 39 years old generally had large declines compared to 2010 (Figure 5-3).

Figure 5-3 : Usage of Conventional Roaming Services by Age

40.6% 42.9%

64.0% 64.5%

71.7%

50.4%45.9%

25.0%

50.4%54.7%

40.2%

23.7%

38.7%

53.4%48.0%

55.2%55.4%51.8%

28.0%22.3%

18-19 years 20-24 years 25-29 years 30-34 years 35-39 years 40-44 years 45-49 years 50-54 years 55-59 years 60 years andabove

CASS 10 CASS 14%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

5.2 Satisfaction with International Roaming

In 2014, mean scores for satisfaction with price competitiveness and service variety of international

roaming increased significantly compared to 2010. Nevertheless, satisfaction mean score for service

quality was highest at 3.92 (Figure 5-4).

Figure 5-4 : Satisfaction with International Roaming (Mean Score)

2.89

3.41

2.71

3.42

3.92

3.00

3.59

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00



Mea

nSa

tisf

acti

on

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied

This aspect not

surveyed previously


24

5.3 Mobile Roaming Charges

In 2014, users of international roaming services were significantly more aware of the international

mobile roaming charges for voice and data, and were also more likely to check the different charges

before travelling (Figure 5-5).

Figure 5-5 : Awareness of and Likelihood to Check International Mobile Roaming Charges

54.5%

41.2%

74.1%69.3%

Voice Data

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

Level of Awareness of international mobile roaming charges of telecom service provider

%

% who check the different international mobile roaming charges of service provider before travel

24.5%18.3%

37.0% 36.7%

Voice Data

CASS 10 CASS 14

% o

f In

tern

atio

nal

Ro

amin

g U

sers

5.4 Alternatives to International Roaming

Awareness of international roaming alternatives remained high in 2014, and had also increased

significantly from 81.5% in 2010 to 86.1% in 2014 (Figure 5-6).

Figure 5-6 : Awareness of Alternatives to International Roaming

81.5%

18.5%

86.1%

13.9%

Yes No

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

% o

f In

tern

atio

nal

Ro

amin

g U

sers


25

5.5 Data Roaming

Showing a substantial increase compared to 2010, most respondents were aware that they could

disable international data roaming service by manually switching it off or by contacting their service

provider (Figure 5-7).

Figure 5-7 : Awareness of Ability to Disable International Data Roaming

70.4%

29.6%

89.9%

10.1%

Yes No

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

% o

f In

tern

atio

nal

Ro

amin

g U

sers

Respondents’ awareness of data roaming plans with flat rates for fixed or unlimited data usage almost

doubled in 2014 to 72.8%, a substantial increase compared to 2010 (Figure 5-8).

Figure 5-8 : Awareness of Data Roaming Plans with Flat Rates for Data Usage

37.1%

62.9%

72.8%

27.2%

Yes No

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

% o

f In

tern

atio

nal

Ro

amin

g U

sers


26

More than 7 in 10 respondents were aware that they could contact their service provider to activate a

data roaming cap so as to prevent bill shock (Figure 5-9)

Figure 5-9 : Awareness of Ability to Activate Data Roaming Cap

71.8%

28.2%

Yes No

CASS 14

%

% o

f In

tern

atio

nal

Ro

amin

g U

sers


27

6 PAYPHONE SERVICES

6.1 Usage of Payphone Services

Usage of payphones had declined sharply over the past 9 years, falling from 22% in 2005 to 8.4% in

2014 (Figure 6-1).

Figure 6-1 : Usage of Payphone Services

22.0%20.5%

13.4%

8.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%


Note: ‘Usage’ = Usage of payphone services at least once in the last 6 months.

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Across all age groups, usage of payphones had mostly declined over the past 7 years. However, usage

among respondents aged 50 years old and above was still higher compared to other age ranges (Figure

6-2).

Figure 6-2 : Usage of Payphone Services by Age

18.5% 17.6%

20.1%

16.4% 16.6% 16.2%

25.2%

22.8%

26.2%24.2%

28.4%

9.9%

14.3%

7.8%8.8%

16.8%19.1%

8.3%

12.0%13.4%

10.2%

1.9%3.2%

3.8%

8.4% 9.2%

6.4%

13.8%11.6%

9.6%


above


% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts


28

There was a steep decline in payphone usage for respondents staying in HDB 1-2 Room, 3 Room, and 4

Room flats (Figure 6-3).

Figure 6-3 : Usage of Payphone Services by Housing Type

42.8%

29.9%

25.5%

15.2%

11.2%

7.2%

39.5%

21.6%

16.6%

8.9%6.6% 7.1%

0.0%

8.1%

0.0%

23.7%

9.5%7.2%

9.2%7.7%

5.2%


Executive Flat

Condominiums or

Private Flat



(N=8) (N=13)

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

6.2 Frequency of Usage

Compared to 2010, frequency of payphone usage remained consistently low, with almost 70% of

payphone users claiming to have used the service fewer than 5 times a year in 2014 (Figure 6-4).

Figure 6-4 : Frequency of Payphone Usage

59.1%

32.5%

7.2%1.3%

67.4%

21.2%

9.7%

1.7%

69.1%

12.4%17.8%

0.7%

Very rarely (fewer than 5 times

a year)

Fairly often (at least once a

month)

Very often (at least once a

week)

Most of the time (at least once

a day)


% o

f P

ayp

ho

ne

Use

rs

(N=3)(N=22)

%

CASS 14:

% of Frequent Usage

= 18.5%

(N=11) (N=2)(N=17) (N=5)


29

6.3 Attitude towards Payphone as a Necessity

About half of respondents opined that payphones are no longer a necessity, a substantial increase

compared to 2010 (Figure 6-5).

Figure 6-5 : Opinion on whether Payphone was Still a Necessity

60.6%

39.4%

48.8% 51.2%

Yes No

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

In a breakdown of opinions on payphones’ necessity by housing type (Figure 6-6), respondents staying

in HDB 4-room and 5-room flats as well as landed property were significantly less likely to feel that

payphones were still necessary. However, a large majority of respondents staying in HDB 1-2-room

flats, at slightly more than 70%, considered payphones to still be necessary.

Figure 6-6 : Opinion on whether Payphone was Still a Necessity by Housing Type

77% 72%61% 56%

64%52%

67%

49% 47%39%

60%

44%

74%

52%

23% 28%39% 44%

36%48% 53%

61%

40%

56%48%

33%

51%

26%

Yes No%

HDB 1-2 Rm HDB 3 Rm HDB 4 Rm HDB 5 Rm Condominiums or Private Flat

Landed Property Other

1410CASS: (N=8) (N=13)

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts


30

A majority (83.9%) of the respondents who felt that the payphone was still a necessary service cited

payphones’ function as a backup for unexpected situations as the main reason (Figure 6-7).

Figure 6-7 : Reasons for Payphones still being Necessary

48.4%

7.8%1.5%

42.5%

6.6% 5.8% 1.2%

82.0% 83.9%

As backup for my

mobile phone

To access emergency

services

For other people

without handphone,

e.g. elderly, children,

foreigners, tourists

No mobile telephone

service

No residential fixed

telephone line

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

(N=22) (N=12)

This aspect not surveyed in CAS 10

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

On the other hand, respondents who thought that payphones were no longer necessary primarily cited

already having a mobile phone as the reason; almost 90% of them gave this reason (Figure 6-8).

Figure 6-8 : Reasons for Payphones Not being Necessary

29.4%21.4%

13.3%2.9%

34.0%25.6%

18.6%

4.2%

85.3% 88.1%

Already subscribed to

mobile phone

Already have

residential fixed line

Not convenient to use Do not know locations

of payphones

Others

CASS 10 CASS 14

%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts


31

7 CUSTOMER CARE SERVICES

7.1 Satisfaction with Operators’ Customer Care Services

For the three major operators (SingTel, StarHub, and M1), respondents were generally least satisfied

with hotline waiting times, as compared to the other aspects of customer care (time taken to resolve

complaints and competency of customer service officer).

Nevertheless, satisfaction with hotline waiting times for the three major service providers had actually

improved since 2010. This is evidenced in the significant increase in satisfaction levels (Figure 7-1).

Figure 7-1 : Hotline Waiting Time to speak to a Customer Service Officer (Mean Score)

2.75

2.37

3.183.102.95

3.32

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel StarHub M1

CASS 10 CASS 14

Mea

n S

atis

fact

ion

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied

2014 saw substantial improvements in respondents’ satisfaction with time taken to resolve complaints

for SingTel and StarHub. Significant increases in the mean scores of satisfaction were observed (Figure

7-2).

Figure 7-2 : Time Taken to Resolve Complaint (Mean Score)

3.112.97

3.473.39 3.323.51

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel StarHub M1

CASS 10 CASS 14

Mea

n S

atis

fact

ion

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied


32

With regards to satisfaction with competency of customer service officers, SingTel enjoyed significant

improvement in its satisfaction mean score compared to 2010; on the other hand, satisfaction levels

for StarHub and M1 remained fairly consistent compared to 2010 (Figure 7-3).

Figure 7-3 : Competency of Customer Service Officer (Mean Score)

3.42 3.413.68

3.54 3.51 3.57

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

SingTel StarHub M1

CASS 10 CASS 14

Mea

n S

atis

fact

ion

Sco

re

VerySatisfied

VeryDissatisfied

7.2 Suggestions for Improvement

When asked for areas where customer care services could be further improved, most respondents

suggest a reduction in hotline waiting times, amongst other customer care improvements. It was still

the primary suggestion despite a significant decrease compared to 2010 (Figure 7-4).

Figure 7-4 : Customer Care – Suggestions / Improvements

44.6%

6.4%7.8%4.6% 4.5% 4.2% 3.9%

7.0%

2.4%4.6%

12.0%12.4% 11.4%

32.6%

Reduce hotline

waiting time

Prompt and

effective follow-up

to complaints

Improve

competency &

product knowledge

of CSOs

Reduce number of

transfers in hotline

/ connect directly to

CSO

Employ local CSOs /

speak local

languages fluently

& clearly

Streamline the

routing directory of

CS hotline

Improve sincerity,

politeness & inter-

personal skills of

CSOs

CASS 10 CASS 14%

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

1987

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Transcript of 1987