Virtual telco Zero Mobile’s licence suspended over outstanding billing issues, company blacklisted: IMDA

SINGAPORE — Zero Mobile, an Australia-based firm that provided virtual telco services here, has been suspended with immediate effect due to failures to address outstanding billing issues, Singapore’s telco regulator said on Thursday (March 12).

The company and its directors have also been blacklisted, said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in a statement.

“This is due to Zero Mobile’s failure to address outstanding billing disputes with ex-subscribers in spite of IMDA’s reminders, following the cessation of Zero Mobile’s service plans in December 2019,” it said.

The move comes after TODAY reported last December that the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which leased network capacity from Singtel, had scrapped all its existing mobile plans. However, chief executive officer Glenn Mohammed had said then that the company intended to roll out new ones in the following weeks.

Despite Mr Mohammed’s assurance that Zero Mobile was committed to succeed in the Singapore market, the new plans were not launched and some Zero Mobile subscribers complained that they were still being charged for services that they had asked to cancel.

On Thursday, IMDA said it has worked with the company to resolve issues with 230 ex-subscribers, which had been brought about by the cessation of the company’s services, such as porting over their numbers to other telcos. However, 12 of them have not resolved their billing issues with Zero Mobile.

“IMDA takes the protection of consumers’ interests seriously. IMDA is investigating Zero Mobile for contraventions of consumer protection requirements under IMDA’s Telecom Competition Code, and will take enforcement action if there are any breaches,” the regulator said.

“IMDA has also directed Zero Mobile to resolve its billing issues with ex-subscribers, and advises affected ex-subscribers to stop their recurring auto-payment arrangements.”

If Zero Mobile fails to do so, its licence to operate will be cancelled on March 18, said the IMDA.

Such an outcome would make Zero Mobile the first MVNO to shutter in Singapore in recent memory.

TODAY has reached out to Zero Mobile for comment.