Singapore’s 5G landscape
Singapore's mobile market has seen substantial growth, with over nine million phone subscriptions at its peak in 2022, fueled by strong Internet usage and digitization. The country recorded around 1.32 million 5G mobile subscriptions in March 2023, with mobile operators offering faster speeds to support IoT, cloud gaming, and other future applications such as autonomous driving. Singapore's focus on 5G goes beyond national coverage. The country aims to become a global research and development hub for mobile communications technologies, as illustrated by the Singapore University of Technology and Design's (SUTD) partnership to establish Southeast Asia's first 6G research and development lab.The existing network covers more than 1,300 outdoor and 400 indoor and underground 5G sites, enabling revolutionary applications. Standalone networks offer faster downloads and low latency. For instance, Singapore's 5G network boasts an average download speed of 376.8 Mbps, making it one of the fastest in the world. To drive adoption, the government has allocated 25 billion Singapore dollars to fund R&D until 2025, and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has earmarked 30 million Singapore dollars to empower businesses, providing access to testbeds for 5G solutions in various sectors such as smart estates, industry 4.0, urban mobility, and healthcare. Strategic investments are positioning the nation as a leading digital economy, spearheading transformative change, and fostering a vibrant ecosystem with strong innovation potential.
5G ecosystem to benefit businesses and consumers
With the rapid expansion of the 5G network, Singapore expects a sharp increase in commercial adoption of the technology. This is particularly evident in the infrastructure being rolled out by Singtel, which supports real-time computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), enabling enterprise applications such as automated factory inspection and smart city planning. Meanwhile, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has partnered with StarHub for a two-year trial leveraging IoT and 5G to improve campus management through live testing with drones, immersive classroom experiences, and patrol robots.Beyond the technology sectors, the maritime industry is set to benefit considerably from the integration of 5G technology. This is a major challenge, as Singapore is the world's second-largest container port by throughput. In August 2022, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) signed a memorandum of understanding with IMDA to develop 5G mobile network capacity in the maritime domain. By mid-2025, the aim is to extend autonomous 5G coverage to the entire seaport. Extending 5G coverage will enable pilots to control ships from shore-based centers, improving service efficiency and safety. In addition, M1 Limited is set to provide ubiquitous, autonomous offshore 5G coverage for Singapore's south coast, including the surrounding waters of the southern islands. This extended offshore coverage will unlock new use cases and applications, fostering digital transformation efforts within the maritime industry.
