Singapore communications service provider Singtel is partnering with Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications firm Ericsson to deploy high-end 5G technology in Singapore.
Ericsson said on Monday (21 December) that such connectivity is enabled by 5G New Radio (NR) Standalone and dual-mode 5G core network products and solutions, including real-time rating and policy control.
The energy-efficient, end-to-end 5G network will operate on Singtel’s 3.5GHz and 28GHz spectrum bands, spanning outdoor and indoor 5G coverage use.
Millimetre wave (mmWave) connectivity will also be deployed in hotspots across the city-state.
Ericsson’s radio and core solutions will ensure that residents, enterprises, industry and government authorities in Singapore — renowned the world over as early technology adapters and hi-tech innovators — are among the first in the world to benefit from the highest performance that 5G can offer, said the Swedish firm.
The use of 5G could span across cloud gaming, immersive virtual reality/augmented reality, robot-human collaboration in real-time, autonomous transport, remote healthcare, precision smart manufacturing and smart nation connectivity.
Singtel’s group chief technology officer Mark Chong said: “As the leading telco in Singapore, Singtel is committed to building a secure, resilient, world-class 5G network that will serve as the backbone of Singapore’s digital economy.”
“We are pleased to be working with Ericsson, leveraging on its industry-leading 5G capabilities, and to deliver innovative applications and transformative customer experience for our consumers and enterprise customers,” he added.
Martin Wiktorin, head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei and Philippines, said on the partnership that Singtel is “determined to play a leading role in keeping Singapore at the cutting edge of technology innovation and to ensure that the whole nation benefits from 5G”.
“To do so they need the best 5G technology on the market,” he said.
Ericsson’s expertise, said the Swedish firm, lies in its “extensive deployment experience with 75 live 5G networks worldwide”.
“As a long-standing partner, we are equally determined to work alongside Singtel to ensure its subscribers and business customers enjoy the best experiences and opportunities that 5G has to offer,” it added.
Previously, Singtel collaborated with Ericsson to launch Singapore’s first 5G pilot network in July 2018.
Ericsson had also won supplier contracts to provide 5G kits for Singtel after the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) awarded Singtel one of two 5G licences in April this year.
Singapore ranked second in this year’s IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking after the United States. The city-state is the top-ranked Asian country on the list.
Singapore’s ranking, according to the IMD’s report, rests upon “its performance in the knowledge and technology factors”.
“Particularly, Singapore tops the rankings in talent, and in the regulatory and technological frameworks,” the report read.
The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking measures the capacity and readiness of 63 economies to adopt and explore digital technologies as a key driver for economic transformation in business, government and wider society.
