Singapore’s StarHub and U Mobile of Malaysia will be among the first in the world to launch 5G standalone (5G SA) roaming trials, the two telcos have announced.
Unlike most other roaming trials which use 5G non-standalone (5G NSA) technology, the new trials will be conducted independent of 4G network infrastructure.
The tests will monitor performance and gather insights to help the two providers establish key aspects like the right network configurations and settings to ensure seamless 5G roaming for customers when the next-generation mobile technology rolls out commercially. The companies also hope to establish the right commercial price point for 5G roaming in both countries.
StarHub and U Mobile are collaborating with Huawei on the trials, which will include use cases such as ‘live’ cross-border holographic calls and multi-party video calls.
“When 5G arrives, we want to continue delivering to customers the same best-in-Singapore connectivity wherever they may be,” said StarHub’s chief technology officer, Chong Siew Loong. “There is no better place to start 5G roaming trials than in Malaysia, our closest neighbour and one of our customers’ top travel destinations.”
U Mobile’s chief technology officer, Woon Ooi Yuen, added: “U Mobile believes that these 5G SA trials will not only benefit the business and travel communities who regularly commute between the two countries; we also think it will be beneficial to the healthcare industry as 5G SA may enable remote surgery to be done across borders. This collaboration between U Mobile and StarHub will accelerate the takeup of 5G services between both countries.”
The first 5G SA roaming trials between StarHub and U Mobile are planned to take place in the first quarter of 2020.
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Tags: 5G
