Singapore is poised to award as many as four operating licences for its upcoming 5G wireless networks - double the number mooted in a public consultation earlier this year.SINGAPORE is poised to award as many as four operating licences for its upcoming 5G wireless networks - double the number mooted in a public consultation earlier this year.
The two-tiered licensing decision could be a pragmatic move to support Singapore's digital-economy ambitions, said Credit Suisse analyst Johnson Loh, given the daunting cost of the density of infrastructure needed for 5G, and the conflict over technology between the United States and China. PwC Singapore partner Oliver Wilkinson, who covers entertainment and media, noted that the new networks will draw not just MNOs and the mobile virtual network operators that lease from them, but also players from fields like mobility and the Internet of Things.
Spicing up the mix will be the smaller-scale 5G licences - which could be construed as consolation prizes, yet may also prove to be cash cows.