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SINGAPORE – Singtel launched 5G trial services in Singapore on Tuesday (September 1), the second telecom company after StarHub to enable consumers to browse a faster mobile network.
Singtel’s 5G services are free to the first 20,000 customers with 5G-compatible smartphones as part of a three-month trial, and its 5G signals cover certain areas in the central and southern parts of Singapore.
Coverage will be expanded to other areas during the trial period.
Network speeds range from 200 Mbps to 1 Gbps depending on the devices used, population density and other environmental factors, Singtel said.
By comparison, 4G download speeds on Singtel and StarHub average around 58 Mbps, according to a June report from mobile analytics company Opensignal.
With the increase in speed, a 3GB movie clip, which translates to a duration of about an hour in high definition format, will take around 40 seconds to download on average, 10 times faster than with 4G.
The trial services offer only partial benefits of 5G, as they are based on existing 4G technologies. Singapore’s two full national 5G networks will be ready by 2025 only and will be built by Singtel and, separately, a joint venture between StarHub and M1.
The full set of benefits of 5G includes much lower latency, the ability to connect many more devices, and a further increase in network speed.
Singtel said its free trial is open to 10,000 existing customers who own 5G-enabled phones and the next 10,000 who purchase a 5G-enabled phone. Customers beyond the first 20,000 who want to try Singtel’s 5G services will have to pay $ 10 per month.
There are currently four 5G-enabled phone models: the Huawei P40 Pro 5G and P40 Pro + 5G, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, and the Vivo X50 Pro 5G. The list will expand in the coming months.
“We are excited to introduce our customers to a high-quality 5G experience that will enrich their digital lifestyles,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, who heads Singtel’s consumer business in Singapore.
“With Covid-19 powering everyone online and dramatically increasing our reliance on digital services for work, learning and play, 5G will become a great enabler in our lives in this new normal.”
StarHub launched its 5G trial services last month.
StarHub’s trial lasts six months and is open to customers who have subscribed to its three Mobile + and Biz + plans and own a 5G-capable phone.
Meanwhile, M1 reiterated that its network is “ready for launch.” It is working closely with Infocomm’s Media Development Authority to implement 5G testing services.
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