Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) has revealed it plans to kick start a pilot of 5G services in the fourth quarter of this year, working in partnership with Ericsson of Sweden. Trials are due to take place over the pilot network in ‘one-north’, Singapore’s science, business and IT hub, using trial spectrum allocated by the Info-Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA). Singtel and Ericsson confirmed the initiative yesterday (23 July), when they demonstrated 3D augmented reality (AR) streaming over a 5G network operating in the 28GHz millimetre wave band. In a press release it was noted that the demonstration enabled participants ‘to view and interact with lifelike virtual objects such as a photorealistic human anatomy and a 360-degree image of the world. The immersive experience was then streamed in real-time to a remote audience via 5G’.
Commenting on the 5G pilot network plan, Mark Chong, Group Chief Technology Officer at Singtel, said: ‘5G has the potential to accelerate the digital transformation of industries, as well as empower consumers with innovative applications … We are pleased to take another bold step in our journey to 5G with our 5G pilot network at one-north and invite enterprises to start shaping their digital future with us.’ His words were echoed by Aileen Chia, Deputy Chief Executive and Director-General (Telecoms & Post) at IMDA, who said that the regulator will ‘work closely with mobile service providers such as Singtel in their journey to build communication capabilities of the future and complement Singapore’s efforts towards a vibrant digital economy’.