Nokia and SP Telecom are set to roll out 5G network, Singapore’s first, alongside the country’s power grid. The new data fibre network, slated for launch in 2020, will support critical communication services, they said.
The new network will enable both fixed and 5G carriers to deploy cloud-based virtual private network (VPN) and 5G offerings for government and enterprise customers. It will provide the communications backbone for industry automation, autonomous vehicles, remote robotics, augmented and virtual reality, and event live streaming, the pair said.
Nokia’s FP4-based service router, optical transport and cloud software solutions, together with its service automation and network orchestration suite, will be incorporated into SP Telecom’s infrastructure, introducing a 5G-ready network to support customers delivering critical communications services.
SP Telecom is a joint venture company of ST Engineering and Singapore Power (SP) Group.
Besides adding intelligence to the network to support 5G deployment, SP Telecom’s existing infrastructure is also an alternative fibre network that is highly resilient and provides network diversity. It uses fibre pathways that combine leased SP Group infrastructure and owned fibre pipes, laid alongside the power network cables. It will also support ultra-low latency for 5G players.
Titus Yong, chief executive at SP Telecom, said: “We are well poised to facilitate the rollout of 5G in Singapore, working closely with our technology partners to deliver a reliable, high-performance and seamless network for 5G players and their customers.”
Stuart Hendry, Nokia’s head of transport, energy and public sector in Asia Pacific, said: “The Nokia solutions deliver a dynamic, highly scalable network for Cloud, Ultra-Broadband and IoT services in our partnership with SP Telecom.”
5G carriers will also have the option of leveraging SP Telecom’s pervasive hubs around the island as locations for their 5G base stations, enabling computing and analysis at the edge of the network and delivering improved latency and network performance for end users.
Meanwhile, SP Telecom will launch an innovation hub and innovation lab for partners including IoT service providers to pair and test their solutions on SP Telecom’s data fibre network.
