Business Enquiries: https://www.business.thebluecats.com.sg/ The Blue Cats' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singaporethebluecats/ On 11 August 2025, news broke that Simba is buying the telecommunications business of M1 from Keppel for $1.43 billion. This deal surprised many, although there had been earlier rumours of Keppel selling M1 to Starhub. M1, once the first competitor to Singtel after its 1997 launch, played a key role in making telecom services in Singapore more competitive, affordable, and innovative. Over the years, M1 introduced popular offerings like prepaid cards with free incoming calls and high-speed fibre broadband. Keppel eventually took full control of M1 in 2019, but now plans to sell the retail telecommunications segment while keeping its fast-growing ICT business, which includes data centres and subsea cables. Simba, formerly known as TPG Telecom in Singapore, entered the market in 2016 as the fourth licensed telco and launched services in 2020. It later rebranded to Simba in 2022, positioning itself as a budget-friendly mobile data provider. While Mobile Virtual Network Operators like Circles.Life resell network capacity from major telcos, Simba is a full-fledged operator with its own infrastructure. The company is now owned by Tuas Limited in Australia, and its main appeal has been lower prices, making it popular with cost-conscious consumers. The purchase of M1’s retail telco business gives Simba a significant boost, particularly in broadband, where Simba’s current market share is just 0.9% compared to M1’s 15%. By combining forces, Simba could challenge Singtel and Starhub more aggressively, potentially driving broadband prices down. Simba has stated the deal will help expand its mobile reach, accelerate broadband growth, and provide a stronger platform for enterprise services. However, whether M1 will be rebranded under the Simba name remains uncertain. Keppel’s decision to sell stems from its shift toward becoming an asset-light global asset manager and operator. The transaction still requires approval from Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), meaning it’s not guaranteed to go through. If approved, the increased competition in broadband could benefit consumers.