SINGAPORE — With 3G telco services set to shut down in July 2024, the clock is ticking for some 100,000 users still subscribed to legacy phone plans to upgrade to 4G or 5G plans.

But many of these users are migrant workers and the low income who might not be able to afford to upgrade their phones and plans, said sociologists, non-governmental organisations and mobile phone shop owners. They also urged telcos to do more to help such users with the transition. 

There are about 109,000 3G pre-paid and post-paid subscriptions in April 2023, according to statistics published on the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) website.

This makes up approximately 1 per cent of the total mobile subscriptions, the authority said in a statement on Wednesday (July 26), adding that the 3G mobile subscriber base "is on the decline".

"When the 3G networks retire, more spectrum can be released for investment in 5G to provide a better experience for users and support enterprises undergoing digital transformation," IMDA said.

Its statement came after the three telcos that operate 3G networks — Singtel, StarHub and M1 — jointly announced that they will cease 3G services from July 31, 2024. Simba, the fourth mobile network operator, does not operate any 3G services.

Nevertheless, the subscriber base size does not include users who may be subscribed to 4G or 5G telco plans, but still possess older phones that can only connect to the 3G network, which was introduced nearly 20 years ago.

Amid the steady forward march of faster cellular technologies, several experts told TODAY that many of these 100,000 users are at risk of being left behind as they require more help in making the switch to 4G or 5G phone plans or upgrading to newer phone models. 

Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Sociology and Anthropology said that those on the “wrong” side of the digital divide such as seniors and low-income individuals, including foreign workers and those who are not so digitally savvy, risk being cut off from the world.

He said that they may be “unable to make the transition, even if costs remain affordable”.

Mr Ethan Guo, general manager for migrant workers' welfare group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), said: “The problem would be that many low-wage migrant workers are likely to have brought over their old 3G phones to use in Singapore.

“As most of them are struggling to pay off the loans they took up to come work in Singapore and are under pressure to constantly send as much money back to their families as possible, it's unlikely they would have the means to save up to buy a new phone.”

Referring to IMDA's statement that there are only 1 per cent of subscribers affected by the impending cessation, Dr Ivan Kwek, who is also from the NUS' Department of Sociology and Anthropology, said: “That’s still a sizable number who will be impacted.”

Apart from migrant workers, low-income users and seniors, the cessation is also likely to impact parents who bought older phones for their children, said mobile phone retailers.

Said one salesperson from a mobile phone retail store in Sim Lim Square said: "These parents want to avoid buying smartphones for their kids, so they just buy these 3G-only phones. They will all have to upgrade."

A 'HEADACHE' FOR MIGRANT WORKERS

Mr Md Sohag, a Bangladeshi migrant worker who works in lifting operations, said he will be affected by the cessation next year.

Mr Sohag was one of three foreign construction workers TODAY spoke to who still rely on 3G services. The others are able to connect to 4G or 5G networks.

Having arrived in Singapore over a year ago, the 30-year-old has been using the same 3G-only Samsung phone to contact his family that he brought over from home.

Hearing Wednesday's announcement gave Mr Sohag and his colleagues a "headache", he said, as upgrading will pose an additional burden on their tight budgets.

A father of two young children, Mr Sohag earns S$988 a month, half of which he spends repaying a bank loan he took to work in Singapore. Another S$200 will be sent home to his wife and children, with S$130 reserved for meal expenses. The remaining S$160 is spent on miscellaneous costs like transport and administrative fees.

This meant that saving up for a new phone may take more than several months, he added.

In addition, migrant workers who plan to come to Singapore in the future may not be aware of the impending changes and may be unable to afford a new phone that supports 4G services upon arrival, said Mr Sohag.

Domestic helper Elvira B Reyes, 50, said that she would have to cough up S$350 for a new phone with 4G or 5G, which means she can only afford a lower-end model from Samsung or Oppo.

But upgrading could mean better services for her, as her current 3G phone lags when making video calls to family and friends back in the Philippines.

She is unsure if the lag is due to the limited 3G bandwidth, problems with her old phone, or issues connecting to the 3G signal from her current provider, StarHub.

While the motivation for shutting down 3G to make way for 5G is understandable, telcos should realise that forcing 3G users to upgrade to "affordable" 4G or 5G devices can still be a significant expense for those with low incomes, said NUS' Assoc Prof Tan.

He added that there could be additional costs for users of older devices, which are not smartphones, to move their data over to newer phones.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Mr Guo from TWC2 said his NGO is still assessing the likely impact of the 3G service cessation announcement.

When 2G services were stopped in 2017, the firm ran a campaign for members of the public to donate their used phones for migrant workers, as well as a separate campaign for monetary donations to purchase phones for migrant workers.

He urged telcos to work together with industry partners such as phone manufacturers, distributors, retailers and other related companies in the mobile phone sector to help vulnerable migrant workers during this transition, such as by “offering subsidised phones, or even certified refurbished phones at a low price”.

"We'll definitely take the time to assess the situation and kickstart similar campaigns where necessary to benefit the needy migrant workers under our care," said Mr Guo.

Other experts TODAY spoke to urged telcos to do more, such as by providing discounts to needy 3G subscribers for new phone plans, as part of their community service to vulnerable groups.

On this, Dr Kwek urged telcos to consider the deeper implications of changes that they implement, as stopping telco services affect migrant workers who need to get in touch with their loved ones back home.

“We marvel at what we can do with the mobile phone, not just to communicate, but to literally build relationships and maintain affective ties with loved ones from whom one may be separated,” Dr Kwek said.

“In the unequal world that we live in, the weight of the burden is disproportionately on those who can least afford to bear the costs. For these reasons, telcos should demonstrate their ability to act as caring corporate citizens.”