Singapore On Track to Start Rolling Out 5G This Year

(Bloomberg) -- Singapore is on track to start 5G deployment this year and achieve standalone coverage across the country by 2025, as the city-state seeks to further develop digital infrastructure.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority intends to award 5G spectrum by mid-2020 after earlier receiving three submissions from Singtel, TPG as well as a joint submission from StarHub and M1, Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran said in parliament Tuesday.

Other measures to further digitalization efforts include:

  • Nationwide roll-out of a parcel locker network to improve last-mile delivery infrastructure as e-commerce is projected to grow at 12% to 20% annually until 2025
    • Government intends to deploy 1,000 locker stations across Singapore by end-2022; goal to place a locker station around 5-min walk from every public housing block
  • Program to help small and medium enterprises scale and access global markets without needing a physical in-market footprint
  • Government support for companies to hire and train mid-career professionals aged 40 and above for tech-related jobs, regardless of whether the person has background in the sector
    • Aims to place an additional 2,000 Singaporeans in companies through this program over next 2 years
    • Review of the Personal Data Protection Act with plans to amend the act later this year to strengthen enforcement as well as organizations' accountability

      • To contact the reporter on this story: Melissa Cheok in Singapore at mcheok2@bloomberg.net

      To contact the editors responsible for this story: Niluksi Koswanage at nkoswanage@bloomberg.net, Joyce Koh, Derek Wallbank

      ©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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