Singtel and Ericsson to launch Singapore’s first 5G pilot network

Singtel and Ericsson are planning to launch Singapore's first 5G pilot network which would go live by Q4 of this year.

Aileen Chia, Deputy Chief Executive and Director-General (Telecoms & Post) at IMDA, says: "This is an encouraging step towards commercialization with live 5G trial networks made possible with the regulatory sandbox IMDA has in place. IMDA will continue to work closely with mobile service providers such as Singtel in their journey to build communication capabilities of the future and complement Singapore's efforts towards a vibrant digital economy."

Singtel and Ericsson will conduct drone trials later this year at one-north, the joint statement said.

According to the statement, this is the first-of-its-kind demonstration enabled participants to view and interact with lifelike virtual objects such as a photorealistic human anatomy and a 360-degree image of the world. The immersive experience was then streamed in real-time to a remote audience via 5G.

The demonstration also illustrated the possibilities of using 3D AR technology for large-scale remote learning in various industries such as medical and education, enabled by an ultra-high-speed and low-latency 5G network.

Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines, says: "5G represents a key mobile technology evolution, opening up new possibilities and applications. We believe that 5G will play a key role in the digital transformation of the Singapore economy. Demonstrating the possibilities in this showcase event will be a catalyst for engagements with Singapore enterprises."

Using Ericsson's 3GPP standards-compliant 5G technology with the trial spectrum allocated by Singapore's Info-Communications Media Development Authority, the pilot network will deliver 5G coverage with enhanced Mobile Broadband speed and low latency communications.

Industries such as transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing can leverage 5G to accelerate digital transformation and deploy advanced automation technologies, the statement informed.

Enterprises can also work with Singtel and Ericsson at one-north to develop new 5G use cases and tap the business potential of 5G.