SINGAPORE - The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has commenced investigations into Singtel’s mobile network disruptions between March 16 and 18. “IMDA takes these disruptions seriously and has commenced investigations and will take firm action against Singtel should any lapses be identified,” said the sector regulator on March 19. For three days in a row, Singtel mobile customers faced problems connecting to its network. Problems first surfaced on March 16. The eight-hour outage caused customers to have “zero bars” of signals on their phones, and disrupted essential services in Singapore, including payments, ride-hailing and food delivery. Connection problems continued into the second day for a smaller pool of users, lasting more than 30 hours in total. Singtel said that the problems on the two days were unrelated, and they were not due to a cyber attack. On the evening of March 18, the number of user reports on Downdetector – a site that tracks service outages – spiked again. Users either had no signal on their phones or had intermittent connectivity. In a media reply, Singtel said the incident on March 18 was not a network outage but a “momentary congestion”. On March 19, IMDA said it would investigate the incidents over the three days, adding that the issues have been resolved. The cause of the service disruptions and the number of customers affected are still unknown. But Downdetector received thousands of reports from affected users, including those using Singtel’s no-frills GOMO plans. Crisis communications experts who spoke to ST called Singtel’s communication to the public unclear, inconsistent and inadequate. They flagged a disconnect between Singtel’s assurances and users’ actual experience on the ground. On the evening of March 16, for instance, Singtel said that its service had been restored, but some customers continued to face connectivity issues into the next day. “When customers are told that service has been restored but still can’t reconnect for hours, it creates a sense of confusion and erodes confidence,” said Dr Samer Elhajjar, senior lecturer from the department of marketing at National University of Singapore Business School. Ms Christel Goh, founder of communications agency Grow Public Relations, pointed out thatthe only source of updates during the back-to-back outages were on the telco’s Facebook page. Users who faced issues were also directed to call the telco’s hotline at 1688, but many complained of long wait times. “In a crisis, if customers cannot reach you, you must proactively reach them through frequent, real-time updates across multiple channels whether through social media, email or press statements,” said Ms Goh. On March 18, some Singtel users started experiencing intermittent connectivity from noon. The telco put out a Facebook post at around 7.30pm, describing their problems as “momentary connectivity issues” that had since been resolved. “This type of phrasing can sound dismissive when user reports are widespread and persistent,” Dr Elhajjar said. He added: “Understating the problem can unintentionally damage trust. A more effective approach would have been to acknowledge the feedback earlier, clarify the extent of the issue, and outline what the technical teams were actively doing.” Ms Goh acknowledged Singtel’s detailed technical updates on Facebook, including restoration confirmations and engineering activities. But she said that it would have been good to also acknowledge their frustrations as some livelihoods were affected. Moving forward, the telco could offer more transparent explanations after the incident and more empathetic and proactive messaging to rebuild confidence, she suggested. Mr Lars Voedisch, managing director at PRecious Communications, said that as a form of damage control and to rebuild public trust, Singtel could share what it has learnt from the outages and how it plans to change going forward. The last Singtel mobile outage happened in November 2025, lasting more than six hours. In October 2024, a Singtel fixed-line outage rendered hotlines for the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the police – along with those of hospitals and banks – unreachable. The telco was fined $1 million for the incident that affected about 500,000 users for more than four hours. https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/s...omm-media-development-authority?ref=top-story

SINGAPORE: Two men, aged 25 and 33, and a 16-year-old boy have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the unlawful discharge of fireworks in Ghim Moh, the police said on Monday (Mar 23). The police were alerted to the incident at a multi-storey car park at Block 16A Ghim Moh Road at 11.15pm on Mar 20. The three suspects were identified through ground enquiries and arrested on Sunday and Monday. "Preliminary investigations revealed that the trio had discharged multiple fireworks in the vicinity, causing loud explosions that alarmed residents in the area," said the police. Investigations are ongoing. In footage of the incident circulating on social media, a shower of fireworks can be seen being let off in a residential area.     The Singapore Civil Defence Force told CNA on Sunday that it was alerted to a fire involving sparklers and that the fire had burnt itself out before officers arrived. No injuries were reported. Individuals found guilty of the unauthorised use of explosives may face up to 36 months' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$50,000 (US$39,200), or both. "Members of the public are reminded that the discharge of fireworks without proper authorisation is illegal and poses serious safety risks to both the perpetrator and the community," said the police.

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