GSMA THRIVE CHINA 2020: SmarTone CEO Anna Yip (pictured) explained the operator took a different tack to its Hong Kong rivals when deploying 5G, preferring to wait until it had sufficient coverage before launching a commercial service.

During the event, Yip reiterated the operator covered 70 per cent of the population at launch and targets 80 per cent by the year-end. She explained the wait was worthwhile because the reach is “a unique selling point for us in terms of the widest coverage, both indoor and outdoor”.

“The 70 per cent mentioned is actual outdoor coverage. For indoor we also have the strongest penetration because we cover a lot of malls, hotels and commercial buildings using dynamic spectrum sharing technology from Ericsson.”

Wide coverage is the starting point in terms of encouraging customers to shift from 4G to 5G, she noted. “We also have the widest 4G coverage, so what’s the difference between 4G and 5G? That comes down to the user experience.”

She said SmarTone also took time to craft the right message on what 5G means for end-users.

While super-low latency and higher speeds offer an obvious advantage for gamers, she noted there are also key benefits on video, either in conference calls or when streaming content.

On the enterprise side, Yip said it is vital to focus on specific sectors because each requires deep vertical knowledge combined with technical expertise to bring game-changing applications. “It’s hard for us to serve say ten sectors well.”

The operator is focused on property management, logistics, construction, healthcare and transportation, where it believes it can offer unique capabilities, she said.