SingTel LTE-Advanced network coverage crosses 50%

SINGAPORE — SingTel today (Aug 19) said its street-level coverage for its 4G LTE-Advanced network now extends to more than 55 per cent of the island.

In a joint statement with Ericsson, the mobile network equipment provider engaged for the deployment, SingTel said its coverage now includes areas such as Orchard, the Central Business District, Shenton Way, Tampines, Jurong and Woodlands. The service will offer download speeds of up to 300Mbps, an earlier Ericsson press statement said.

LTE-Advanced is a step up from existing 4G services in Singapore, and is considered in the industry as “true 4G”. Besides faster speeds, the technology promises more effective wireless transmission range. However, because LTE-Advanced utilises different spectrum bands, existing smartphones will not be able to access the network.

As such, SingTel said it will launch the Samsung Galaxy S5 4G+, which is compatible with LTE-Advanced, on Aug 23. It will also bring in another compatible device - the Samsung Galaxy Alpha 4G+ - in September, according to the statement.

Mr Tay Yeow Lian, Managing Director of Networks at SingTel, said: “We have accelerated our network roll-out programme and are on track to achieve nation-wide outdoor coverage by the first quarter of 2015.”

When contacted, M1 referred to its earlier statement in May, which said the telco has upgraded 4G network to support speeds of up to 300Mbps in selected locations in Orchard Road and Jurong. “M1 customers can expect to enjoy outdoor speeds of up to 300Mbps nationwide by the end of the year,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, a StarHub spokesperson said: “We are upgrading our 4G network to support speeds of up to 300Mbps. This 4G network upgrade will be rolled out across Singapore progressively.” CHANNEL NEWSASIA