Mobile users in Singapore have been lamenting about poor 3G reception and dropped calls for a while. A check by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has confirmed that all three telcos fell short of meeting outdoor coverage standards.

M1, SingTel Mobile and StarHub Mobile have been fined S$10,000 each for failing to comply with IDA’s Quality of Service (QoS) standard for nation-wide outdoor areas for 3G mobile telephone services.

The results of the joint survey showed that the nation-wide outdoor service coverage for all three mobile operators was below the QoS standard of at least 99 percent, even though they performed well in providing general mobile coverage. Their respective performances were weaker at newly included testing areas such as housing estates/town centres, outdoor recreational areas, and above ground MRT tracks.