IMDA confirmed it will allocate 500 megahertz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi use in Singapore
Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said it will allocate more radio frequency spectrum to facilitate advanced Wi-Fi connectivity across Singapore.
In a release, the regulator said that this move will complement Singapore’s Nationwide Broadband Network (NBN) and 5G mobile networks already deployed by domestic carriers.
IMDA confirmed it will allocate 500 megahertz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi use in Singapore.
“The lower segment of the 6 GHz band provides an additional 500 megahertz of contiguous spectrum that has been globally identified as suitable for Wi-Fi use. The allocation of this additional spectrum will pave the way for the deployment of the latest Wi-Fi 6E technology, that supports usage of wider Wi-Fi channels which is 2 to 8 times wider than the current 20-MHz to 80-MHz channels in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands today,” IMDA said.
The regulator added that wider 160-MHz channels can deliver faster theoretical maximum speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps, doubling the current maximum speeds of up to 4.8 Gbps and can also support lower latency use cases.
IMDA said that the allocation of this new spectrum will enable the deployment of interconnected devices and robots with autonomous mobility, application of generative AI with higher data transfers and adoption of augmented or virtual reality with more immersive online experiences involving multiple parties.
Also, more spectrum in the 6 GHz band with wider channels will ease increasing contention over Wi-Fi and maintain good user experience as these data intensive applications get more pervasive, IMDA said.
“While NBN provides high-speed fiber broadband connectivity to households and businesses, Wi-Fi is typically the key connectivity medium that takes over from fiber broadband to provide in-unit or in-building wireless connectivity for end-user devices in homes and offices. Wi-Fi technology thus needs to keep in tandem with NBN developments,” the regulator said.
“Wi-Fi 6E’s theoretical maximum speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps is on par with the potential 10 Gbps speeds offered by the next-generation technology upgrade for NBN. Without Wi-Fi 6E, end-users will not be able to get the full experience and benefit that the next-generation NBN technology would bring,” the watchdog added.
For enterprises, IMDA expects the enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity to facilitate greater digital innovation to improve efficiency and productivity. These include use cases in augmented/virtual reality at scale for larger-group immersive experiences in areas such as education and workplace training. Improved Wi-Fi connectivity can also facilitate Industry 4.0 innovations, such as increased automation through robotics and high-definition video monitoring, according to the regulator.
Meanwhile, the move to award spectrum to boost Wi-Fi connectivity nationwide, will allow consumers with a large number of concurrent bandwidth-intensive online activities such as remote working, home-based learning and entertainment, to have better connectivity at home via Wi-Fi.
IMDA said it will amend its current regulations to allocate the frequencies in the 5.92 GHz–6.42 GHz range for Wi-Fi use in Singapore. IMDA expects Wi-Fi 6E-enabled equipment and devices to be commercially available in Singapore by the third quarter of 2023.
The growing adoption of 5G services in Singapore is expected to boost the mobile data segment in the country, which in turn is set to drive mobile service revenue at a CAGR of 3% from 2022 to 2027, according to analytics company GlobalData.
The report also noted that 5G subscriptions will surpass 4G subscriptions in 2025 and is expected to account for 76% of total mobile subscriptions by the end of 2027. This growth in 5G subscriptions will be chiefly driven by the ongoing 5G network expansions by MNOs and increase in the commercial 5G adoption to support M2M/IoT implementations and smart city applications.
