M1 the 1st to launch nationwide next-gen 4G service

SINGAPORE — M1 customers will get to lead the pack in experiencing next-generation 4G service at speeds of up to 300 mbps islandwide — double the current rate of up to 150mbps — the telco announced today (Dec 2).

Existing and new customers would get to experience the faster speeds at no extra charge.

An M1 spokesperson said: “Customers will be able to enjoy higher speeds in more than 95 per cent of outdoor and most indoor areas. We will continue to review and enhance our network in specific areas with higher traffic requirements such as MRT stations and tunnels.”

The typical download speed for the 300mbps 4G service is between 43 and 115mbps as of this month, M1 said.

However, to enjoy higher speeds, customers would need to have handsets that are compatible with the next-generation 4G network, or Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) — an upgraded network that is able to support the higher speed of 300mbps.

Such handsets will go mainstream only by early next year, rival telco StarHub pointed out.

In response to TODAY’s queries, a StarHub spokesman said its network is being upgraded continually and download speeds of up to 300mbps are expected to be available nationwide next year, when 4G LTE-Advanced phone models become mainstream here. He added that by the end of this month, StarHub’s 4G customers who could access such speeds would be able to do so in the Central Business District and key retail hubs such as Orchard, Tampines and Ang Mo Kio.

SingTel said it has expanded the number of locations at which its customers could access the LTE-A network to more than 40. It added that it is on track to achieving outdoor coverage of 85 to 90 per cent by early next year. Tan Weizhen