SINGAPORE — Local carrier StarHub today (Nov 6) introduced new SIM-only plans, catering to a growing number of phone subscribers who buy their own smartphones and want better non-contract deals from the telcos.

Prices for the SIM-only plans start at S$13.95 a month, bundled with 300MB of local data, 100 minutes of outgoing talktime and 500 SMSes. The top-tiered plan costs S$110 monthly and offers 12GB of local data, with unlimited talktime and SMSes.

StarHub’s new plans come in the wake of intense competition from rivals Singtel and M1.

M1 was the first telco to launch SIM-only plans in July with only a one-month contract, or a higher data cap for those who sign up for a 12-month commitment. The mySIM plans start at S$30 for 3GB of local data, 300 minutes of talktime and 1000 SMSes.

Singtel followed with a S$20 SIM-only plan in September that allowed subscribers to customise the plan according to their needs. The Singtel plans also come with Singtel WiFi connectivity at 500 hotspots such as transport hubs and shopping centres.

The cellphone industry is on the cusp of a shakeup with the impending entry of a fourth telco. Existing operators have been rolling out innovative deals to preserve their subscriber base, such as letting users roam overseas using their local data bundle.