It’s about time. In a Straits Times report, Netflix is said to have implored the Singapore government to restrict telcos from charging for bandwidth. It is afraid telcos may use their power to force Netflix to cough up charges to use their connections.
According to the reporter, citing analysts, this is the strongest sign yet the video streaming site is mulling an expansion to Singapore.
Netflix has only just began expanding to Asia. It expanded to Australia and New Zealand and announced it will launch in Japan this year. It’s also exploring partnerships with local Chinese video sites to launch in the Mainland.
The company better move fast though. I am seeing competitors starting to take advantage of its absence in the region. IFlix, started by Catcha’s Peter Grove, is one example. SingTel’s Hooq (joke: what do you call a Hooq user?) is another.
Then there’s the issue of whether it can secure enough great programming to make the service compelling to users in the region. The US Netflix still carries the best stable of shows, which means even if there’s a legit Netflix service in your area, you might still use your VPN to view the US version anyway.
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