In an interview with RCR Wireless News, Tay Yeow Lian, managing director of networks at Singtel Singapore, noted that the telco currently offers nationwide 5G SA services with a network of more than 1,500 5G mobile base stations
Singaporean telco Singtel plans to explore more advanced network architectures, such as Low Latency, Low Loss and Scalable Throughput (L4S), which will significantly improve end-to-end latency by tackling queuing latency, Tay Yeow Lian, managing director of networks at Singtel Singapore, told RCR Wireless News.
“This will be key to providing an even better digital experience for consumers and enterprises,” the executive said.
L4S helps 5G network users stream content seamlessly in congested radio network environments such as at concerts or sports events. In 2022, L4S was adopted in 3GPP 5G-Advanced Release 18 to support Extended Reality (XR) over 5G networks.
Yeow Lian noted that Singtel currently offers nationwide 5G Standalone (5G SA) services with a network of more than 1,500 5G mobile base stations across Singapore.
“Singtel has always invested ahead in technology and infrastructure so we have the necessary tools, products and solutions to support the nation’s ambitions. We raced to achieve nationwide 5G coverage in 2022, the first globally, so we could turn Singapore into a sandbox for innovation – where public and private sector companies can trial 5G applications and use cases,” the executive said.
“With our network, we’ve achieved many world firsts – such as the first commercial deployment of network slicing, which enables enterprises and consumers to perform functions that require high-bandwidth and low latency with ease. We’ve deployed network slicing at high-traffic events such as the F1 Grand Prix Season Singapore 2022, Singapore’s National Day Parade 2023 and the Coldplay and Taylor Swift concerts earlier this year. We also pioneered app-based network slicing earlier this year, which allows app owners to activate a dedicated slice from Singtel’s 5G network to boost the performance of their app – ensuring an enhanced user experience,” added Yeow Lian.
He went on to say that Singtel also deployed network slicing for mission-critical use cases, adding that the carrier used network slicing to improve road safety by supporting real-time situational awareness and coordination of smart vehicles, deliver remote assessments in life-threatening medical conditions through video calls and conferencing, as well as tracking and delivering medical supplies via drones in remote locations.
“More use cases are being developed across various industries including logistics, transportation, retail, agriculture, public safety, homeland security, entertainment, finance and more,” he said.
The Singtel executive highlighted that the company believes that 5G is a gamechanger and should be accessible to enterprises of all sizes in Singapore and beyond, adding that Singtel created Paragon and CUBΣ – network orchestration platforms that businesses can use to deploy 5G tech, services and solutions, to drive innovation and growth. “Our Paragon platform has been integrated into the enterprise product portfolios of our associate companies such as AIS in Thailand and Telkomsel in Indonesia, as well as other telcos in Spain and Taiwan,” said Yeow Lian.
Commenting on the telco’s O-RAN strategy, the executive explained that Singtel currently work with its mobile vendor based on 3GPP RAN system for network reliability and ease of maintenance. “As 5G continues to evolve, we will review the suitability of O-RAN that best meets the requirements of our consumers and enterprises,” he said.
In June 2018, Singtel joined the O-RAN Alliance as a member alongside six other international carriers, which has now grown to 26 operator members. With a footprint in 21 countries, Singtel Group actively contributes to the O-RAN Alliance, attending meetings with the Technical Steering Committee and working with its associates to conduct trials, the executive added.
