Singapore 5G
In July 2022, Singtel, Singapore’s primary telecom service provider, announced that it achieved over 95% standalone 5G nationwide coverage. Singapore is the first country in the world to be fully covered by standalone 5G. Singtel’s standalone 5G network now covers more than 1,300 outdoor locations and over 400 in-building and underground, creating significant opportunities for ground-breaking applications and immersive experiences for enterprises and consumers. About 900,000 customers are already on 5G.
5G standalone networks are a more advanced version of 5G. Built from the ground up, a 5G standalone offers faster downloads and low latency, vital for uses like video streaming and autonomous vehicles. 5G standalone network gives users with essential applications more bandwidth or priority using network slicing.
Singapore has always embraced forced reinvention to stay competitive. With new technologies, including 5G, its approach was to “invest ahead and invest early” in crucial infrastructure. The Singapore government has earmarked SGD25 billion (USD18.1billion) in R&D funding until 2025 to drive transformative technologies supporting efforts to maximize the benefits of digitalization. The forecast is that 55% of Singapore will have adopted 5G by 2025.
SGD30 million (about USD21.7 million) has been set aside by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), a Singapore government statutory board that regulates the converged infocomm and media sectors, to drive adoption and commercialization. Different size businesses have access to testbeds to develop, adopt and commercialize 5G solutions - in Smart Estates, Industry 4.0, Urban Mobility, Maritime operations, Healthcare, Consumer and Government application, etc.
Organizations could also consider upskilling staff to manage information actuated differently and using A.I. and IoT to inform data-driven decision-making. Organizations will also need to consider modernizing their I.T. systems and infrastructures to enable 5G to be integrated within their networks and remain seamlessly compatible with their security policies.
IMDA 5G grant open to Singapore companies focused on commercialization & deployment of 5G solutions in Robotics & IoT, AI &Data, and AR/VR is here. Non-Singapore registered companies may partner with Singapore companies to form consortiums to participate in the grant.
U.S. companies may consider partnering with Singaporean organizations to drive innovation and help future-proof them. 5G with edge cloud and network slicing allow real-time computing, data storage, A.I. and analytics. Real-time mission-critical applications from automated quality inspection in factories, Smart city planning, and Self-driving vehicles to the Internet of Things (IoT) can now take place. Companies with experience working in Singapore can also look forward to bringing their use cases and solutions through their partners across Asia-Pacific.
U.S. companies who wish to learn more, explore opportunities, or partner with Singapore entities may contact Amelia Yeo at the U.S. Commercial Service, Singapore