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SINGAPORE: A total of 1,000 professionals will be hired or retrained to support Singapore’s 5G launch, Infocomm’s Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Tuesday (September 29).
Of the 1,000 positions, 300 are new positions, while the rest will be filled by telecommunications professionals who will be trained in the areas of 5G network, cybersecurity and solutions engineering.
“Demand for 5G professionals is expected to grow as Singapore’s 5G rollout gathers momentum and more companies participate in the ecosystem,” said IMDA, who has partnered with Singaporean mobile network operators to recruit and train. to professionals.
Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has “accelerated the momentum towards digitization,” Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran said Tuesday at the ConnecTech Asia event.
“Singapore is committed to investing substantially in 5G, due to the exciting opportunities it will bring to businesses, workers and individuals,” he said.
“Its higher bandwidth, lower latency, and dynamic network capabilities will unlock new applications that were not possible before.
READ: StarHub customers will be the first in Singapore to experience faster 5G speeds
“New products and services in areas such as autonomous vehicles and robotics, the Internet of Things, and augmented reality will create new revenue streams that are expected to add $ 2.2 trillion to the global economy by 2034.
“Companies must seize the opportunity to innovate and generate business value in these promising areas.”
Under the TechSkills Accelerator initiative, IMDA has established 5G Workforce Transformation Committees with mobile network operators to oversee the planning and capacity building of their 5G workforce, the authority said.
“These committees will identify the talent requirements of our (mobile network operators), in various functions such as 5G networks, cybersecurity and solutions engineering,” added Mr. Iswaran.
“At the same time, we want to make sure we have a strong portfolio of talents who are ready to go.”
IMDA will also appoint a consortium consisting of the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Polytechnic as Telecommunications and 5G Program Manager.
The consortium will coordinate programs to build skills across the “5G ecosystem,” including mobile network operators, end-user companies and technology companies, Iswaran said.
“The plan is to work with the industry and equip a total of 5,000 professionals over the next three years to develop a strong and skilled 5G workforce,” added IMDA.
Training with mobile network operators will start later this year.
“Talent development is the next critical phase of our 5G investment,” said Lew Chuen Hong, IMDA CEO.
“This effort extends Singapore’s momentum in 5G following our investment in infrastructure capacity building.
“We have worked with local (mobile network operators) to unlock the potential of 5G for these 1,000 professionals and will continue to do so to create good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans.”
Iswaran added that a “strong and skilled workforce”, together with 5G infrastructure and testing, are “essential to expanding Singapore’s innovation capacity.”
READ: Singapore on track to roll out 5G by 2025; Singtel and StarHub-M1 Joint Venture Issued Final Awards
In June, Iswaran said Singapore was on track to offer 5G coverage nationwide by 2025, after Singtel and a joint venture of StarHub and M1 received final awards to operate networks in the country.
