'Vibrant' 5G retail scene for Singapore looks a long way off

THE telecoms regulator has promised a vibrant retail market for 5G in Singapore - and it believes that the key to that will be mandatory wholesaling arrangements.

Only Singtel and a StarHub-M1 joint venture have been awarded licences to build and run nationwide 5G networks. So the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has touted its 5G wholesaling requirement as a way to "promote retail competition" and add "vibrancy to the competitive mobile landscape".

But, while you can lead a horse to water, you cannot make it drink. Whether the other network operators will be interested in such arrangements is uncertain, as some are facing business or financial difficulties.