Announced at Mobile World Congress 2024, StarHub has signed a Research Collaboration Agreement with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), to conduct joint trials and demonstrations of Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) implementation in the Future Communications Connectivity Lab (FCCLab).
“Aligned with our DARE+ initiative and Cloud Infinity programme, StarHub is proud to collaborate with SUTD to provide our expertise and over 20 years of network experience in making ORAN implementation a reality,” said Ayush Sharma, Chief Technology Officer, StarHub. “Singapore is set to enhance its technological infrastructure, and through this collaboration, we strive to enable more use cases for ORAN, allowing for new heights in network agility, scalability and innovation.”
With support from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF), the FCP was developed with the goal of future-proofing Singapore’s communications and connectivity capabilities. On top of providing engineers and specialists to provide counsel for the ORAN implementation and trials, this agreement will also see StarHub provide relevant network equipment to supplement the FCCLab. ORAN will allow developers to develop RAN-related applications more effectively such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-based radio optimization applications, as well as optimized RAN power-saving applications, with unprecedented efficiency. In the coming months, StarHub and SUTD will also seek to implement a 5G packet gateway in the premise of SUTD, bringing the core network element closer to the end-user.
“As we further our commitment to position Singapore as a global hub for research and innovation in communication and connectivity technologies, this collaboration will allow us to build up capabilities and future communication technologies for lower latency usage, greater data privacy and security, and versatile user applications. It will also enable the development of drone applications and other use cases.” said Director of Singapore’s Future Communications R&D Programme, SUTD Professor Tony Quek.
This collaboration underscores StarHub‘s unwavering commitment to pioneering cutting-edge technologies and driving transformative advancements in the telecommunications landscape.
