Keppel(싱가포르의 주요 데이터센터 REIT)과 StarHub가 M1 딜에 대한 협상을 진행 중임을 확인했으며, 동남아시아의 데이터센터 자산을 통합할 가능성이 있습니다.

Keppel and StarHub have confirmed that discussions are underway regarding a potential acquisition of M1, Singapore's third-largest telecommunications carrier, according to their respective stock exchange filings. The deal would consolidate Singapore's telco market from four carriers to three.

Keppel has owned M1 since 1994, when it served as one of the carrier's founding investors. M1 went private in 2019. In its stock filing, Keppel stated: "The company is in ongoing discussions with StarHub Ltd regarding a possible transaction in relation to M1, but there is no certainty or assurance that any transaction will materialize. The company wishes to emphasize that these discussions are ongoing and nothing definitive has been reached at this stage." StarHub issued a similar statement.

Keppel has been actively seeking to divest M1 as part of its strategy to explore telecommunications consolidation opportunities. The company is prioritizing its data center operations, managed through Keppel DC REIT and Keppel Data Centers. Keppel currently operates 35 data center facilities across Europe and the Asia Pacific with a combined capacity of 650MW.

M1 serves approximately two million subscribers in Singapore, providing mobile, fiber, and fixed-line services. StarHub has approximately 2.2 million subscribers.

The current negotiations follow the collapse of a previous acquisition attempt. In 2024, M1 had agreed to be sold to Tuas, the parent company of Simba, for S$1.43 billion (US$1.12 billion). That deal unraveled earlier this year when concerns emerged that Simba had been using radio frequency bands that had not been assigned to it for mobile service delivery. Simba currently operates with approximately 1.2 million subscribers.

Singtel remains Singapore's largest mobile carrier with an estimated 4.5 million subscribers.