Singapore-based startup Firsty has raised S$7.5 million (US$5.5 million) in funding to further its goal of becoming a global telecom provider.

This announcement aligns with a new partnership with GlobalTix, a Singapore-based travel technology firm, aimed at improving connectivity services for travelers.

Firsty operates as a freemium telecom network, providing free mobile data in over 160 countries.

The service will be integrated into GlobalTix’s network of 12,000 resellers, including platforms like Trip.com and GetYourGuide.

Co-founded by former Adyen executives Vince Vissers and Gauthier Thierens, Firsty has established its regional headquarters in Singapore.

The company currently has over 600,000 users worldwide and aims to simplify mobile data access without requiring SIM swaps or incurring roaming fees.

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🔗 Source: Firsty

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Freemium model addresses critical pain points in an industry plagued by customer dissatisfaction

Firsty’s free global data approach tackles a significant industry problem: telecommunications has the lowest customer satisfaction scores among major industries, with an average Net Promoter Score of just 31 1.

This dissatisfaction translates to real business impact, with the U.S. telecom sector experiencing a 22% churn rate in 2021, equivalent to 95 million customers switching providers due to frustration with their service 1.

The industry’s historical reliance on deceptive pricing practices, roaming charges, and complex data plans has created an opening for disruptive models like Firsty’s that promise simplicity and transparency.

Research shows that 60% of consumers now prioritize connectivity, indicating a shift toward unlimited access becoming a standard expectation rather than a premium offering 2.

By eliminating traditional pain points like SIM swaps and roaming charges, Firsty aligns with industry experts’ recommendations that telecom providers must focus on simplicity in pricing and flexibility in contracts to improve customer satisfaction 1.

2️⃣ Strategic partnerships represent the new growth frontier for connectivity providers

Firsty’s partnerships with Uber and GlobalTix exemplify a critical strategy that industry analysts have identified for telecom survival: creating new growth engines through targeted partnerships while repositioning core connectivity services 3.

The Deloitte telecom outlook highlights that communications service providers must explore new revenue pools beyond traditional services and adapt to changing consumer expectations through collaborative partnerships with tech firms 4.

These partnerships allow Firsty to embed connectivity directly into travel experiences through GlobalTix’s network of 12,000 resellers, creating a distribution channel that bypasses traditional telecom customer acquisition models.

By partnering with travel platforms and transportation services, Firsty is positioning connectivity as an integrated service component rather than a standalone offering—a strategy that aligns with industry forecasts about the evolution of telecom business models 3.

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