Singapore's digital economy is getting a boost with "the first 5G standalone (“SA”) Radio Access Network (“RAN”) Sharing network in South East Asia."

Nokia was selected by Antina Pte. Ltd. (“Antina”), which is a joint venture formed by mobile network operators M1 and StarHub, following a competitive tender process, to deploy 5G SA networks across Singapore.

Naturally, Nokia advises that "the commercial deployment of a 5G SA network will introduce compelling new use cases and cater for the growing data demand in the country, putting Singapore at the forefront of 5G standalone technology in the region."

The partnership will enable Antina’s customers – M1, StarHub and other mobile service providers on wholesale arrangements – to "benefit from a game-changing ultra-high speed, low-latency and highly secure 5G SA network that will reduce complexity and increase cost efficiencies. It will also enable new use cases across entertainment, cloud gaming, transportation, education and healthcare."

Nokia says it "will provide equipment from its comprehensive AirScale portfolio and CloudRAN solution to build the Radio Access Network (RAN) for the 5G SA infrastructure, using the 3.5GHz spectrum band.

"Nokia will supply 5G base stations and its small cells solution for indoor coverage, as well as other radio access products. Nokia’s 5G SA technology will provide Singaporean enterprises with the opportunity to explore multiple new use cases due to the network’s higher bandwidth, higher uplink speeds and lower-latency."

Nokia reminds us its CloudRAN solution is "designed to enable Antina to build a more agile business, meet new traffic demands, make better use of spectrum as well as optimise performance and mitigate costs."

Nokia also states its CloudRAN technology "is expected to provide Antina with the flexibility to meet customer demands in the evolving 5G era."

In addition, Nokia’s NetAct network management, CloudBand Application Manager and CloudBand Infrastructure Software will "streamline operations and securely manage Antina’s networks."

As you'd expect, we're told "the commercial launch of this 5G SA network in Singapore will underpin the infrastructure for a vibrant 5G ecosystem."

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks, Nokia, said: “This is an important win for Nokia that demonstrates our leadership in commercial-grade Cloud RAN as well as mobile operators’ trust in our capabilities for rapidly transitioning to 5G standalone networks.

"We look forward to supporting Antina in the deployment of a successful rollout of the 5G SA network in Singapore which aligns with the country’s vision of creating a world-class 5G infrastructure. We hope other global markets considering making the move to 5G SA will take note of Antina’s success.”