Mobile networks in Singapore

Which networks your eSIM uses in Singapore

Singapore has four mobile networks: M1, SingTel, StarHub and SIMBA. Your data only travel eSIM joins a partner network automatically: the phone connects to the strongest partner signal where it is, and the eSIM cannot be locked to one carrier. That means the network can change as you move around the country.

The eSIM is a data only product on a country plan. There is no local phone number. WhatsApp calls and app calls work over the data connection. Your own SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank texts, so you can keep receiving verification messages on your usual number while data runs on the eSIM.

This setup suits a short trip. You arrive, the eSIM connects, and your phone finds a strong partner network without you choosing one. Because the phone moves between partners on automatic selection, the exact carrier at your hotel or at the airport can differ from the one across town.

Here is how the connection takes place:

1. Buy the Singapore plan before you travel. Payment is by Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card the bank confirms.
2. You receive the QR code by email, usually within minutes.
3. Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi before your flight.
4. On arrival, switch the eSIM line on and keep data roaming on for that line.
5. The phone joins the strongest partner network where you are, and the plan days start when the eSIM first connects in the country.

Coverage and 5G in Singapore

5G is the main generation across Singapore, and coverage is strong. Mobile subscriptions stand at 171 per 100 people, which is more than one connection for every person, and 94 percent of people use the internet. The four networks, M1, SingTel, StarHub and SIMBA, cover the town areas and transport routes travellers use most.

For a visitor this means data for maps, ride apps, messages and mobile tickets should work where most people spend their day. The network figure shows a very heavily connected market, so a phone that can use a Singapore partner network has plenty of cell sites to work with.

The eSIM is for data. Calls to a hotel or restaurant go through WhatsApp or another app over data, or through your home SIM if your own provider charges for that. Your own SIM staying active in the phone matters for bank texts, because those messages arrive on your usual number, not on the travel eSIM. Data can be added to the same eSIM online later without a new QR code, which helps if you use more than you expected.

Will your phone work in Singapore

Your phone works in Singapore if it supports eSIM and is carrier unlocked. Most recent iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models meet both conditions. If the phone cannot take an eSIM, or is locked to your home carrier, the travel eSIM will not install or connect.

Check the path in your phone settings for adding a mobile plan or an eSIM. If the option is there, the hardware supports it. A phone bought on a contract may be locked to the home network, so confirm that the lock has been removed, since an unlocked phone is what allows a Singapore partner network to register.

Dual SIM matters here. The plan assumes your own SIM stays in for calls and bank texts while the eSIM handles data. Most recent phones can hold a physical SIM and an eSIM, or two eSIMs, at the same time. Set the travel eSIM as the line for mobile data and leave your home line active for voice and texts only.

The APN is set automatically on most phones. If data does not start after arrival, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line. If that still fails, restart the phone with the eSIM line active and roaming on.

Setting up before you fly

Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home, well before the flight. The QR code arrives by email in minutes after payment, so there is time to scan it at your own pace. The plan days start when the eSIM first connects in Singapore, so installing early does not use up validity.

Buying early removes airport pressure. Prices are in US dollars and shown before payment, with nothing added at checkout. Plans include 1 GB, 3 GB and 5 GB, over 7, 15 or 30 days. Each traveller phone needs its own eSIM.

Keep the QR code email while you travel. Install on Wi-Fi, since the download needs a data connection, label the eSIM clearly so it is easy to pick from your home line, and set mobile data to the travel line. When you land, switch it on and check that roaming is enabled for that line.

If the trip runs longer than planned, top up online. Data is added to the same eSIM without another QR code, provided the plan has not expired. Set-up details and network facts on this page were checked on 2026-10-31, sourced from ITU via the World Bank for the subscription and internet figures.