Singapore telcos can tap early 5G plans to suss out interest

SINGAPORE is pressing on with its goal of rolling out nationwide standalone 5G networks from next year on, with full coverage by end-2025 - Covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding.

Ahead of that milestone, though, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and telecom industry are now exploring how to deploy non-standalone (NSA) 5G services that tap the 4G networks currently in use.

The move, announced on Monday, marks an alignment with commercial developments in other advanced regional markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, which have already launched NSA 5G services.