Singaporean operator Singtel says it will be launching 4G across the island nation later this year, with plans to deploy 200 new base stations.
The firm told Reuters its goal was to increase revenues from multimedia and ICT from its current level of 25% to 50% over the next three to five years.
Singtel’s competitors, M1 and Starhub, have also begun dipping their toes into the luke warm LTE waters, with M1 debuting its LTE service this week and Starhub already finished its technical trials of the technology, with plans to roll out nationwide later this year.
Singtel’s plan is heavily based on the country’s new ultra-high speed broadband network, currently being built out by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA). It’s hoped this Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NBN) will be able to achieve speeds of around 1 Gbps, making fast video streaming and near seamless online gaming all the more achievable.
Indeed, the firm has launched its own gaming service as well as a video search engine which aims to help customers find rich media content more easily.
The investment costs for the 200 new base stations is said to marginal in comparison to the approximate US $809.1 million that Singtel invests a year in both equipment and service. Further expansion is thought to be planned for 2012 and 2013.
