Long Term Evolution (LTE) in Singapore is locked, and loaded? The latter is not quite there yet, but wireless networks in the country forge on. Let’s cover LTE Networks in Singapore – 2013 Forecast & Trends. According to techgoondu, 4G technology launched in late 2012 and the challenge now is in convincing wireless users that LTE is a viable offering for smartphone users in Singapore. Wireless juggernauts in Singapore such as MobileOne (M1) and SingTel have both jumped on the 4G bandwagon, and launched LTE technology. The other big provider, StarHub has said it will launch LTE sometime in 2013. This year, the big push will be transferring 3G and other legacy wireless subscribers onto the 4G network.
Because the technology is so new, however, users have not been “quick” to take advantage of this new network with better speeds. Why should they? Here in the United States, it seems like a no-brainer, but in other countries, like Singapore, the decision to switch from the norm is not always as clear. techgoondu suggests the following reasons to switch:
1. Nationwide coverage
M1′s and SingTel’s new 4G service means you don’t have to worry about dropping back to 3G, like when you turn up at an area without LTE. The islandwide service is said to cover both indoors and outdoors. One place you won’t get 4G for now is on the trains. M1 claims that eventually, that too will be covered by the its 4G service, but no date has been announced.
2. Faster access
With speeds of up to 75Mbps, 4G provides faster downloads and Web surfing. More importantly, 4G is separate from the clogged up 3G networks here and access to popular applications such as Facebook or Skype will be quicker.
3. Attractive phones
Even though the new iPad does not yet work with 4G networks outside North America, there are many great devices and tablets that are available, and that also see their utmost performance on LTE networks. This goes for smartphones too. They tend to reach their full potential on faster networks.
The future of how users will use 4G in Singapore this year is still unclear. Most 3G networks are pretty clogged and overused, and it’s not certain that 4G will jump in and immediately fix this issues.
“It’s true the telcos in Singapore are “re-farming” or re-using the 2G spectrum to provide more bandwidth for the new 4G services, but it’s common sense that the airwaves will not be able to handle the increasing amounts of data that users are throwing at them without a big breakthrough in compression technology, for example.”
The other thing to note is competition, which will surely bring more users onboard.
“Just hours after M1 unveiled its 4G service, SingTel said it was keeping both 3G and 4G prices the same, doing away with an “add on” fee of S$10 for good. That’s the price that M1 has levied on early adopters for the technology, which it believes is fair since it has the widest 4G network now.”
Eventually, StarHub will join the ranks and launch its 4G service, as promised. When this happens, techgoondu notes, users can expect prices to come back down to current 3G levels. “Less likely though are the generous data caps of old, given that all three telcos are trying to shape usage patterns to provide a smoother experience on the new network.” [1]
In summary, LTE is present in Singapore and the spectrum, technology itself is ripe for the picking. But, because it’s so new, prices are high and consumers are not widely adopting the change yet. But keep your eyes and ears peeled. You can be sure as soon as all the wireless providers are on board, wide adoption from customers will be close behind.
[1] Singapore Smartphone Users: To 4G or not to 4G? techgoondu, http://www.techgoondu.com/2012/09/09/singapore-smartphone-users-to-4g-or-not-to-4g/#.UWdHx1JvDKf
