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Many times, I’m inclined to stray from the crowd and try out alternatives before they get popular. I may be stumbling upon a hidden gem that offers me great value — before others catch wind and flock in the same direction.
Case in point: Out of the well-known mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) out there, one of the newest ones is CMLink. Amid the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020, it quietly hit Singapore’s shores.
There are some compelling reasons why I’m keen to hop onto CMLink right now:
- It’s backed by China Mobile International, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Mobile Limited
- In Singapore, it utilises the mobile network of one of the most established telcos
- Recent refresh of pricing and plans for even better value
- These plans are no-contract, SIM-only and I’m currently on a similar no-contract, SIM-only plan with another provider so there’s zero penalty or risk on my part
- There are also cross-border perks like data that can be used in China & Hong Kong for no additional fees and bundled IDD minutes to 6 destinations
- There are also no hidden fees: I get free incoming calls, free caller ID, free SIM registration, free local delivery and free mobile number port with any bundle I select
CMLink’s refreshed plans are also very versatile and suit pretty much everybody’s data needs:
For the mostly-on-WiFi mobile user
You mostly restrict your usage to when you’re connected to the WiFi network at home, at the office or in a cafe. When you’re outside, you’re not like those phone zombies who endlessly scroll through Facebook timelines or Instagram posts while riding on the MRT. The bulk of your mobile usage is mainly spent on practical endeavours: WhatsApp, phone calls and maybe checking bus timings or Google Map routes.
In a month, your usage is probably 1GB tops. You really don’t need much mobile data to get by, and you don’t intend to overspend on something you would fully utilise.
This can be for your elders at home too, who need the data for QR code check-ins when grocery shopping or running errands and sharing the latest cute picture of someone’s grandchild.
This CMLink mobile plan might suit you:
5GB for $10 (Launch offer: Enter promo code ‘LESS3’ to enjoy 30% off first payment, sign up from 15 to 26 October 2020)
Old price $15/month (repriced)
Plan also includes 100 local minutes talktime (outgoing), 100 SMS (outgoing), 100 IDD minutes (outgoing), unlimited free incoming talktime and SMS
| If you find that your mobile data usage hovers around 4-6GB/month, CMLink has also introduced a bite-sized data add-on pack @ 1GB for just $2/month. So, no worries! |
For the on-the-go mobile user
You’re always on your phone, replying to messages and sharing information on WhatsApp/Telegram, checking out what friends are up to on social media, and your thumb has inbuilt muscle memory on scrolling through newsfeeds and timelines.
Each moment finds you zipping from place to place, but once home, you are savvy enough to connect to the WiFi to connect to the world. Using your mobile phone (and consuming mobile data) is second nature to you. You crave connectivity and this is the best way, especially right now when safe distancing is of utmost importance.
However, you are only a mid-data user. You have the attention span of a goldfish and don’t like sitting through long, rich media content like HD videos while on the go. Each month, depending on your social engagements, you use a maximum of say, 10-15GB.
This CMLink mobile plan might suit you:
20GB for $20 (Launch offer: Enter promo code ‘LESS6’ to enjoy 30% off first payment, sign up from 15 to 26 October 2020)
Old price $30/month (repriced)
Plan also includes 300 local minutes talktime (outgoing), 300 SMS (outgoing), 300 IDD minutes (outgoing), unlimited free incoming talktime and SMS
For the data-heavy mobile user who doesn’t want to worry
Every moment is a data moment for your mobile phone. You are a big fan of social media, but even more so, you love video content like YouTube tutorials and Netflix — AND you want to watch them all in high-definition. Oh, and you love your high quality audio tracks as well…
Unfortunately, HD audio/video are mobile data guzzlers. Once, you even burnt through 5GB of data in a day (that time when you redownloaded all of your Spotify playlists and forgot to turn on your WiFi).
If you don’t want to limit yourself and still avoid bill shock, you’ll need a high-octane, large-capacity mobile data plan.
This CMLink mobile plan might suit you:
Brand new 100GB plan at $40 (Launch offer: Enter promo code ‘LESS12’ to enjoy 30% off first payment, sign up from 15 to 26 October 2020)
Plan also includes 300 local minutes talktime (outgoing), 300 SMS (outgoing), 300 IDD minutes (outgoing), unlimited free incoming talktime and SMS
For the border-crossing mobile user
Once the Covid-19 situation blows over, many of us will be rushing to satisfy our urge for leisure travel. However, many business travellers are already crossing borders to keep the economy going, and many countries including Singapore have introduced quick clearance for frequent business travellers.
It’s good to be prepared beforehand. Who knows, travel SIM cards might go out of stock (and end up on Carousell at crazy-high prices), and there’s some hassle of buying mobile data overseas (long queues???). Carrying 2 phones (one Singapore line, one overseas line) is also a bulky endeavour, and signing up for data roaming value-added services is an extra step of preparations before you travel.
CMLink has some good cross-border perks. Users can easily use the data bundle as part of their plan, even when overseas in countries that include mainland China and Hong Kong. Even the bundled IDD minutes can be shared across mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the USA.
There’s even automatic SMS forwarding service (CM Number Link) which customers can subscribe to, whereby a CMLink customer links his or her China Mobile mainland China number to CMLink’s Singapore number. With this, the customer will still be able to receive SMSes from their China Mobile line in mainland China while they are in Singapore — no more missing out any important notices or texts.
For just about everyone
It doesn’t matter if you aren’t one of the above types of mobile users. Or perhaps you’re somewhere in between. The nice thing about CMLink is that, beyond its mobile data bundle and cross border perks, it has other features that benefit everyone such as:
- No hidden fees: Enjoy free incoming calls, free caller ID, free SIM registration, free local delivery and free mobile number port
- Hassle-free sign-up via 2 convenient channels: The CMLink webpage or via WeChat (CMLink_SG)
- 24/7 bilingual (Mandarin/English) customer service hotline
- Various ways to pay your bill with ease, including WeChat Pay, Alipay, Visa and Mastercard
- And of course, it’s a no-contract, SIM-only plan
Find out more about CMLink on www.cmlink.com/sg as well as via WeChat (CMLink_SG).