While press statements claiming a ‘first’ in 5G are becoming somewhat repetitive, Singtel and Ericsson have paired up to milk the increasingly tiresome claim once more.

The duo claim Singapore’s ‘first’ 5G pilot network will go live in the final quarter of the year at one-north in Buona Vista, the city state’s science, business and IT hub. Using trial spectrum allocated by Singapore’s Info-Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), the trial will focus on enhanced Mobile Broadband speed and low latency communications.

“5G has the potential to accelerate the digital transformation of industries, as well as empower consumers with innovative applications,” said Mark Chong, Group CTO at Singtel. “We are pleased to take another bold step in our journey to 5G with our 5G pilot network at one-north and invite enterprises to start shaping their digital future with us.”

“5G represents a key mobile technology evolution, opening up new possibilities and applications,” said Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. “We believe that 5G will play a key role in the digital transformation of the Singapore economy. Demonstrating the possibilities in this showcase event will be a catalyst for engagements with Singapore enterprises.”

The announcement was made at Ericsson’s Bringing 5G to Life event, which also featured a 3D augmented reality (AR) streaming over a 5G network operating in the 28GHz millimetre wave spectrum, in collaboration with AR firm Meta. The demo allowed participants to interact with virtual objects, with the feed also being streamed in real-time to a remote audience, with the ultimate use case being large-scale remote learning in various industries such as medical and education.