Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) has deployed Singapore’s first 5G standalone (SA) trial network at its 5G garage testing facility on Oct 8.
The network, which utilises 3.5GHz spectrum and Ericsson’s advanced Massive MIMO (Multiple-input multiple-output) technology to deliver ultra-fast speeds and low-latency or response times, provides enterprises with early access to 5G to develop and trial 5G solutions.
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Global cloud gaming provider, Ubitus, is the first enterprise to use Singtel’s 5G SA network for a 5G cloud gaming trial.
The trial demonstrated a 5G cloud gaming experience that consistently delivered 85% lower latency of between 8 to 11 milliseconds compared to cloud gaming on 4G.
It was conducted on Singtel’s multi-access edge computing (MEC) platform which integrates 5G’s ultra-low latency and high bandwidth capabilities with powerful cloud computing performance.
Singtel said, through a statement, that 5G and MEC has the ability to integrate with technologies such as Internet of Things, analytics, robotics, artificial intelligence and augmented, virtual or mixed reality. This will enable enterprises to leverage the low latency in applications requiring little or no lag times.
Tasks include remote surgery, smart manufacturing, autonomous driving, remote robotic repair and maintenance and virtual reality-enabled live concerts.
“With 5G’s low latency and scalability, enterprises can not only drive efficiencies and make better and more cost-effective decisions but also deliver richer customer experiences. The launch of this 5G SA trial network is also an important step as we get ready for commercial 5G SA,” says Singtel’s CEO of group enterprise Bill Chang.
“We welcome enterprises to harness the power of 5G to future-proof their businesses and catalyse their digital transformation at 5G Garage,” Chang adds.
“We are very excited with the potential of Singtel’s 5G SA and MEC to push the envelope on cloud gaming. The trials will inform our designs for exciting games which will test gamers’ reflexes and instincts. We will leverage the ultra-low latency of 5G and MEC to offer immersive, hyper-realistic gaming experience,” says Ubitus’ CEO Wesley Kuo.
Singtel, along with M1 and StarHub, were awarded 5G licences by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on April 29.
All three telcos will have to roll out their 5G networks from January 2021, and nationwide 5G outdoor coverage by 2025.
As at 3.05pm, shares in Singtel are trading flat at $2.15.
