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Singapore On Track to Start Rolling Out 5G This Year

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.