Opensignal: Singapore has much to catch up on for 5G speeds on the global stage

Singapore’s path to widespread 5G isn’t an easy one.

Independent mobile network analytics firm Opensignal recently published its September 2021 Global 5G Experience report, breaking down 5G network performances seen around the world.

Singapore came in 3rd for 5G Gaming Experience, just behind countries with more established and advanced 5G connectivity like South Korea and The Netherlands.

Hold off on the celebratory champagne, though. Data provided by the analytics firm also suggests that our local 5G networks have more catching up to do. The island placed 15th on 5G Voice App Experiences and 5G Reach. Singapore did not even make it into the top 15 countries for 5G download or upload speeds.

“According to Opensignal data, the experience of our Singaporean users when playing mobile games over cellular networks is already impressive, with three out of four operators achieving a Good rating in our latest Mobile Network Experience report. In addition, our Singaporean users enjoy speeds on 5G (networks) that were 2.9 times faster than those seen on 4G,” said Sam Fenwick, Senior Analyst at Opensignal.

“We are still at the beginning of Singapore's 5G journey. As Singapore's standalone networks grow in maturity and more 3.5 GHz spectrum becomes available, Singapore's 5G users can expect further improvements in their mobile experience,” he added.

5G networks in Singapore took another step forward in 2021 with our three major telcos offering consumer-ready 5G connectivity. Our current Minister of Communications and Information recently officiated the launch of one major telco’s 5G SA network, and our fourth provider announced its 5G NSA trials just last week.

The deployment of 5G NSA/SA is timely with Samsung’s overly popular Galaxy Z Flip3 and Z Fold3 handsets - both 5G-capable and seeing delays in fulfilment due to overwhelming demand in Singapore. According to Opensignal, the launch of these devices would push more consumers onto their first 5G-ready phone.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.