Asia’s telcos bring AI to mobile plans

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In focus

• ​​Why Asia’s telcos are bundling mobile plans with access to AI models
• Coinhako’s revenue slows as traders move to AI
• Two Shenzhen-based robot makers are looking to go public

Hello reader,

Spotify recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, and it reminded me of the first song I ever played on the platform. Newsflash: It was from a band I don’t even listen to anymore.

It also reminded me of how I subscribed to Spotify in the first place. It was all thanks to a promo provided by my mobile telco provider, Globe Telecom. For about US$2.09 a month, I could have a premium account on Spotify. It was way cheaper than what was offered globally at the time, at US$9.99.

The telco has had a history of offering digital services to its customers at a discount. However, as customers became more digitally savvy and as these digital platforms set up offices closer to Asia, these deals became fewer.

So I was surprised when I learned that Globe Telecom has begun offering discounted access to AI aggregator AI Fiesta, which allows customers to access 13 frontier AI models from the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepSeek.

For our first top story today, I learned that Globe Telecom is not the first in Asia to offer such a deal. Telcos from Singapore to India have made similar offerings.

Analysts say telcos are exploring the best way to get aboard the AI train, though most are unsure if the payoff would be immediate for these companies.

Meanwhile, we also detail Singapore-based crypto trading platform Coinhako’s earnings in 2025, and how it has been affected by traders’ increasing preference for AI stocks over crypto.

The AI boom has had a ripple effect across industries, and companies are working double time on figuring out how to navigate this new era.

Elyssa Lopez, journalist

Top Stories

1️⃣ Asia’s telcos bundle AI into mobile plans. Will it pay off?

Image credit: Ulla

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