Singapore city
Singapore’s state-run Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Wednesday that it would add S$30 million (US$22 million) more to its 5G Innovation grant announced last year.
The grant aims to fuel commercial adoption of 5G networks that will, in turn, help local firms leverage on the fifth-generation cellular network that promises data transfer 10x faster than the 4G.
The fund will also support solution providers and technology developers commercialising 5G solutions in making it accessible to more companies.
To apply for the grant, applicants need to indicate a significant value and impact that their product will provide to the enterprises and industry.
They will also need to be a Singaporean registered company and share a report of their operationalisation plan, commercialisation plan and business model.
Approved projects will then have 70 per cent of the qualifying costs of the project fully paid by the government.
Also Read: How 5G will empower startups and SMEs in the new normal
“With the previous fund, we wanted to be an early adopter (of 5G) and kickstart small-scale pilots. But now that 5G is in the process of rolling out, the emphasis is on driving commercial adoption by actual companies in actual use cases,” IMDA chief executive Lew Chuen Hong said.
This is not IMDA’s first attempt to champion initiatives that drive the adoption of 5G.
IMDA has advocated several initiatives in a bid to spur innovation and adoption of 5G in Singapore, which was largely focused on six key verticals, such as smart estates, urban mobility, maritime, robotics and more.
On April last year, it awarded Singtel and a joint venture between StarHub Mobile and M1 with licenses to build two nationwide standalone (SA) 5G networks in Singapore, which is currently available in key town centres of the region.
SEA’s progress on 5G
When it comes to the mass adoption of 5G, by most measures, China has largely been the global frontrunner.
According to a report by WallStreetJournal, China has not only more 5G smartphones for sale at lower prices but it also has more-widespread 5G coverage than the rest of the world.
Connections in China are also on average faster than in the U.S., as per the report.
In the SEA region, however, Singapore is leading for 5G adoption, followed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, according to research by AT Kearney.
Thailand is seeking to pioneer the deployment of 5G and aims to begin commercial 5G service in 2021.
Also Read: Transcelestial aims to help telcos roll out 5G rapidly and cost effectively in SEA
Indonesia launched trials for its own 5G network in Jakarta and Palembang during the 2018 Asian Game, while Malaysia has started conducting tests with different technology partners, although it has been said that the network won’t be available until 2020.
—
Image Credit: engin akyurt
The post IMDA announces US$22M grant to support startups driving mass 5G adoption appeared first on e27.