Tech

8 Facts About TPG, The Fourth Telecom of S’pore Which Will Demoralise You

2016-12-16 , 12:34 pm

1. Origin of TPG Telecom

TPG Telecom is an Australian telecommunications and IT company that specialises in consumer and business internet services as well as mobile telephone services. It is also the second largest internet service provider in Australia.

2. Fourth Telecom

We all thought that MyRepublic would the fourth telecom, but nope. TPG has won the place to be the fourth Telecom. It made the winning bid of S$105 million for the spectrum on offer, compared to the S$102.5 million MyRepublic made.

3. Founder: David Teoh

Total Peripherals Group was established in 1986 by Malaysian-born Australian businessman, David Teoh. He started out by selling OEM computers and later moved to provide Internet and mobile telephone services.

He is also known to have often shown the back or side of his head as he moves to avoid the camera. In fact, you can’t see his face on the company’s website or annual reports.

4. David Teoh’s family

David Teoh is the 9^th richest person in Australia and he is married to his Taiwanese wife, Vicky in 1992. His four sons, Shane, Jack, John and Bob, have launched more than a dozen start-up companies dealing in clothing, furniture, technology, and eyeglasses. Vicky Teoh also has her own substantial investments including Vita Life Sciences Ltd, a pharmaceutical and healthcare company.

5. Merged with other companies

In 2007, TPG took a 70% controlling interest in then struggling internet provider Chariot. In 2009, Total Peripheral Group merged with SP Telemedia Ltd and changed its name to TPG Telecom Ltd. Teoh also purchased his rival company iiNet with nearly $1.2 billion and took over it as of September 2015.

6. Spectrum band in Singapore

TPG Telecom will allocate 60MHz of spectrum band – 20MHz in the 900MHz band 40MHz in the 2.3GHz band – subject to the relevant spectrum fees being paid. I know this sounds chim, but basically, it means they can provide mobile coverage for us.

7. Services

TPG provides various internet services and phone-line bundled unlimited broadband plan. They also have Boomerang TV and an accounting software called Catsoft and sold it to businesses. They plan to provide a nationwide

They plan to provide a nationwide street-level coverage for 4G within 18 months from the start of the new spectrum rights which includes road tunnels and in-building service coverage within 30 months. Also, coverage for MRT underground stations/lines should start with 54 months from the start of spectrum rights. They may also participate in the second phase of the auction which will go against M1, Singtel and Starhub.

8. ACCC Lawsuit

Did you know that in 2010, a lawsuit was filed against TPG Telecom by Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over TPG’s advertising campaigns? The ACCC accused TPG of misleading its customers by advertising its “unlimited” broadband package only cost $29.99 per month when it actually costs $59.99 per month.

They also claimed in the lawsuit that TPG did not adequately disclose other costs associated with the setting up of the connection. In response, TPG released a statement saying that it believes that all costs were adequately noted in the advertisement and it was “disappointed” with the ACCC’s decision to bring the issue to court. In November 2011, the Federal Court ruled against TPG and fined the company $2 million but the fine was reduced to $50,000 after TPG appealed to the full bench of the Federal Court. The ACCC then filed an appeal in the High Court which was later approved in August 2013.

Now, with this recent shake up, it is a call for the telecom market to be quick on their feet and find new areas where they can improve or specialize in as a unique selling point. With MyRepublic’s promise of unlimited data plan now a dream instead of reality, let’s just hope the fourth telco can disrupt the industry and provide better services for us, the consumers.

Featured Image: zdnet.com