IMDA said that 3G subscriber base makes up approximately 1% of the total mobile subscriptions in the country
Singaporean mobile operators Singtel, StarHub and M1 plans to shut down their 3G services by the end of July 2024, local telecom regulator IMDA said in a statement.
“3G entered the Singapore market almost 20 years ago. Thereafter, the next wave of 4G developments took place in the mid-2010s. Since the introduction of 5G in 2022, 5G subscriptions have gained prevalence, making up 15% of total mobile subscribers and this continues to grow,” the regulator said.
It added that nearly 99% of Singapore’s mobile subscribers are currently using 4G or 5G technology. As of April 2023, the 3G subscriber base makes up approximately 1% of the total mobile subscriptions in the country, IMDA added.
The regulator also highlighted that carriers in Australia and the U.K. had announced plans to shut down 3G networks by 2024, while some countries like the U.S. and Malaysia have already retired 3G services.
The regulator explained that once the 3G are retired, local operators will be in a position to obtain more spectrum for the provision of 5G services.
“Before retiring their 3G services, mobile network operators must ensure that their remaining 3G subscribers, both individual and enterprise users, transit smoothly onto the 4G/5G networks,” the regulator stated.
IMDA said that retailers will no longer be able to sell 3G mobile phones and/or 4G models requiring 3G for voice calls from February 1, 2024.
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“This one-year transition period is given to allow mobile operators to adequately engage and migrate their remaining 3G subscribers before retiring their 3G services,” the regulator said.
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 a previous report by 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.
“Singtel will continue to dominate the mobile services market in terms of subscription through 2027, given its strong focus on 5G network developments and expansion across the country. Moreover, the operator is actively seeking partnership and collaboration opportunities with system integrators, app developers, IoT solution providers and other ecosystem partners to develop new 5G solutions and use cases targeted at its enterprise customer,” said Hrushikesh Mahananda, telecom research Analyst at GlobalData.
Singtel had launched its 5G Standalone (SA) network in the country in May of 2021. The carrier had partnered with Korean company Samsung to launch 5G SA network, which runs on 3.5 GHz spectrum.
Singtel had initially launched its 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) network in September of 2020, using spectrum in the 3.5 GHz frequency as well as existing 2.1 GHz spectrum.