Evolution to 5G: Singtel launches near-gigabit mobile data speeds

Singtel is launching in phases, near-gigabit speeds on its LTE-Advanced network at selected high-traffic outdoor locations across the island, starting with Orchard Road.

At 800Mbps, it is Southeast Asia’s fastest Gigabit-class LTE mobile data peak speed, delivering up to 60% faster download speeds than prevailing LTE services.

Mark Chong, Group Chief Technology Officer, Singtel, said, “As a leader in network innovation, we are committed to pushing the limits in network speeds, coverage and capacity, so we can continue delivering Singapore’s best mobile experience to our customers. We look forward to rolling out more network technology enhancements this year.”

The near-gigabit transmission speeds are achieved by scaling pre-5G technology solutions, 4x4 Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (4x4 MIMO) and 256 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), coupled with triple carrier aggregation of spectrum exclusive to Singtel.

Martin Wiktorin, President of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei and Philippines said, “We are pleased to again partner with Singtel on this important step in the journey towards 5G. In delivering Singtel’s Gigabit-class LTE network, we are enabling an enhanced consumer experience as well as supporting Singapore’s Smart Nation vision, which will see the increase in bandwidth intensive applications.”

Starting today, customers with Sony Xperia™ XZ Premium smartphones will be able to enjoy the 800Mbps peak speeds at the outdoor areas of Shaw Centre, ION Orchard and Tang Plaza on Orchard Road. Full deployment at Orchard Road, Raffles Place and Clarke Quay is slated for the end of August. More Cat 16 smartphones supporting 1Gbps speeds are scheduled to be launched later this year.

The 800Mbps service augments Singtel’s nationwide 450Mbps mobile data speeds. In addition to having Singapore’s widest outdoor 4G coverage as rated by IMDA for 10 consecutive quarters, Singtel was also recently named the fastest telco in Singapore by global metrics leader, Ookla.