Singtel turned on its standalone (SA) 5G network in parts of the city state, becoming the first to offer the upgraded service.

The operator claimed its SA 5G network offers 30 per cent faster uploads than LTE, along with stronger authentication and encryption. It deployed more than 1,000 sites running on 3.5GHz spectrum in locations including Orchard Road, the Central Business District, Marina Bay, HarbourFront, Sentosa and residential areas.

Anna Yip, consumer Singapore CEO, stated: “Our customers will be among the first in the world to enjoy the benefits that SA 5G can deliver”, adding the technology will fuel new innovations and enable digital transformation across industry sectors.

Singtel began issuing SA 5G-compatible SIM cards to customers last month.

It introduced non-standalone 5G service in selected areas in September 2020, offering speeds of up to 1.2Gb/s.

Rivals StarHub and M1 are scheduled to launch SA 5G services this year.