Singtel rolls out 5G apps, has 180,000 subscribers on network

Singapore's biggest telco Singtel has officially launched new 5G applications, including 4K video streaming and a game that allows users to drive remote control cars.

Singtel said yesterday that it has more than 180,000 consumers subscribed to its 5G network since trials started in September last year.

As at June 30, it has about 4.1 million mobile customers.

The 5G network is said to be 10 times faster than 4G, allowing a high-definition movie to be downloaded in seconds compared with minutes today.

It also has more bandwidth, which means more devices can be connected to it. Reports last year placed this at 1,000 times more gadgets than what 4G allows.

Singtel said the most common apps used by its 5G customers have heavy data requirements.

These include apps for video and music streaming, Zoom and Microsoft Team calls, and video gaming.

One of the new 5G apps Singtel announced is a driving simulator that is linked to a remote control car. Using a 5G-connected device, the user gets a view of the track as he steers the toy in a race.

With 5G having lower latency than 4G, the video feed streamed from the car is said to be smoother. Latency refers to the time lag between sending and receiving data.

Singtel said 5G has double the responsiveness of 4G. This is important for apps that require real-time responses. For users of the Formula Square simulator, it means their inputs can be transmitted to the remote control car more precisely.

The simulator is housed indoors on Sentosa while the track is located outdoors a short distance away.

Singtel said similar apps are in the works for cloud gaming.

The telco has also worked with the S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa to offer a 5G live stream of the attraction's manta rays, sharks and shoals of fish.

The live stream, which is in 4K, can be viewed at Singtel's unmanned Unboxed pop-up retail store at SingPost Centre.

The telco also launched a productivity subscription plan at $4.95 a month. It gives customers data-free use of Zoom on its 5G network.

Singtel's launch comes after M1 last week rolled out its 5G-related initiatives, including surveillance robot and camera technology. The technology is being used at Marina at Keppel Bay to enhance security.

Meanwhile, StarHub said it is testing a cloud gaming service - Nvidia's GeForce Now - with 5G.

The service allows consumers to stream more than 1,000 games on their mobile gadgets. Details are expected to be announced closer to the service's launch next month.

At Singtel's launch yesterday, Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo said 5G will change the way people live and work. The authorities here are also trialling the 5G network with industry partners and research institutes, she added.

For instance, crane operators at Pasir Panjang Terminal have been using 5G to remotely control up to six cranes at a time. Trials found that 5G improved latency by up to 75 per cent, giving the crane operators more timely images.

"This means less lag, more timely interventions and better efficiency. Similar technology will be deployed in our fully automated Tuas Mega Port, which can eventually handle 1.5 times more containers," said Mrs Teo.