Singtel Group, Mobike form strategic partnership across Asia

The Singtel Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mobike, the world’s first and largest smart bike-sharing company.

The collaboration covers mobile payments, Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics and marketing across Asia with the aim of providing a more convenient and enhanced bike-sharing experience.

This strategic partnership extends across Singtel, Optus and regional associates Airtel, AIS, Globe, and Telkomsel, all leading mobile operators in their respective countries with a combined reach of over 585 million mobile customers in Asia.

Arthur Lang, CEO of International Group, Singtel, said, “Rapid smartphone growth and the expansion of the sharing economy are transforming our customers’ lives. The Singtel Group of companies which includes our regional associates will continue to form strategic partnerships with service providers such as Mobike. Our goal is also to extend our network leadership to support the growth of IoT and expand the range of digital offerings to all customers across the Group. This collaboration combines the strengths of our companies to deliver greater choice and convenience like Mobike’s services to our customers. We look forward to a mutually successful partnership with Mobike across Asia.”

Mobike currently has a presence in over 200 cities around the world. Since its launch in Singapore in March this year, its first market outside of China, Mobike has continued to grow in the Asia Pacific region, launching in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and Australia in recent months.

Joe Xia, Co-Founder and CTO of Mobike, said, “We are pleased to be collaborating with Singtel, a highly valued strategic partner in the telecommunications industry in Asia. Singtel shares our vision of improving urban mobility and building more sustainable cities though introducing smart bike-share technology to cities. Mobike is the world’s first and largest smart bike-sharing company, and this partnership puts further momentum behind the Mobike movement in Singapore and across Asia.”

The Singtel Group and Mobike will work together to explore mobile payments for bike rides. Through the Singtel Open Platform, a group-wide payment gateway, the Group’s mobile customers across Asia will be able to pay for trips using direct carrier billing or the Group’s mobile wallets. This will provide a seamless, secure, and convenient experience for users, especially in the developing markets where many still do not have credit or debit cards.

Since Mobike’s launch in 2016, its fleet of 7 million bikes have been equipped with smart IoT locks. The Singtel Group and Mobike also intend to explore new IoT technology, such as eMTC and NB-IoT which will enable the smart bikes to be located more precisely even in areas that are technically challenging for mobile signals such as underground parking spaces. In addition to better and wider coverage, the new IoT technology will also help to reduce power consumption and extend the battery life of the smart locks.

Mobike’s AI platform currently generates over 30TB of data daily, which is analysed for a wealth of insights. The Singtel Group and Mobike will explore the use of data analytics to improve the distribution of Mobike’s fleet for better user experience, higher operational efficiency, and to contribute to smarter, more sustainable cities.

Additionally, the Group will explore strategic marketing initiatives with Mobike to promote each other’s services, for example the new Mobike Pass which allows users to have unlimited rides with zero deposit.