Stronger competition in the mobile market, secular decline in the linear pay TV market, and the move to the National Broadband Network have driven excess returns for StarHub lower, and we believe it has no moat.
StarHub is one of three main telecommunications providers in Singapore, offering products covering mobile, broadband, fixed voice, and pay television. StarHub operates a mobile network. The company's fixed network spans domestic and international backhaul. It used to reach residential premises with a hybrid fiber-coaxial network, which has now been replaced with the shared National Broadband Network. The Singapore government retains an indirect 57% stake through Temasek Holdings, while NTT Communications also holds a strategic 10% stake. Growth comes from its Managed Services and Regional Enterprise businesses.