Thales Drives 5G Deployment for Singapore’s Mobile Network Operators
- Singtel, StarHub and M1 are using Thales’ 5G SIM to launch their standalone 5G services.
- Singapore is the first country in South East Asia where Thales’ 5G SIM has been adopted by all three major Mobile Network Operators, with the SIM cards’ modules manufactured locally.
- Thales’ 5G SIMs offer secure encryption during authentication to experience greater bandwidth and network speed. They also ensure an enhanced level of data privacy and protection.
By 2024, 5G network coverage is expected to reach 40% of the global population, accounting for 1.5 billion subscriptions worldwide. Closer to home, Singapore’s vision is to develop a resilient and secure 5G infrastructure with two nationwide networks by 2025, equipped with full-fledged 5G capabilities that can drive innovation in a digital economy. With the help of Thales, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) Singtel, StarHub and M1, have started to launch Standalone 5G services as they target to scale up to nationwide coverage by the end of 2025.
In 2019, Thales announced the industry’s first 5G SIM in order to meet stringent operator requirements for the new generation of network deployments. Compliant with the latest specifications1 and business recommendations2, the 5G SIM was defined as the only secure and tamper resistant solution for securing 5G network access. By supporting all three major MNOs in Singapore, Thales is helping them strengthen their offer to subscribers with the latest SIM card technology that allows users to tap into a high-speed 5G network. Benefits include greater bandwidth, faster network speed, improved data privacy and seamless 5G global roaming, in addition to enhanced encryption and cybersecurity protection. Singapore is the first country in South East Asia to adopt Thales’ 5G SIM, and also the first to deploy it with all three major MNOs in the country. The SIM cards’ chip modules are manufactured locally at Thales’ production facility in Singapore, its largest multi-module production site. To-date, Thales has successfully rolled out 5G SIM technology to several major MNOs, and has tested the technology with close to 50 MNOs throughout the world.
By using Thales’ 5G SIM, the MNOs will be able to offer an enhanced level of data privacy, including a new generation of authentication algorithms. The subscribers’ identities are also fully anonymised using onboard identity encryption, enabling them to comply with local PDPA3 regulations. By making the mobile networks more trusted and resilient, the Thales 5G SIM helps secure the entire SIM lifecycle, reducing the level of fraud and vulnerability to cyberattacks and accidental breaches.
To ensure value for the entire ecosystem, Singapore has ambitions to make 5G technology accessible to everyone in the country by 2025. 5G will be the first generation which will see a convergence of telecom networks, IT and Cloud providers, while 5G SIM virtualisation presents vast opportunities for MNOs and mobile manufacturers to move up the value chain. Thales is proud to partner with Singapore’s leading MNOs, Singtel, StarHub and M1, for their 5G SIM needs that enable them to provide their customers with the best possible mobile experience, while also safeguarding their privacy and data against cyberthreats. Our long expertise and strong industrial footprint in Singapore enables us to develop sustainable 5G use cases that can help drive future adoption of 5G technologies locally.
Kevin Chow, Country Director and Chief Executive
Thales in Singapore
1 ETSI 3GPP
2 Trusted Connectivity Alliance
3 PDPA
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum technologies – to build a confident future crucial for the development of our societies. The Group provides its customers – businesses, organizations and governments – in the defense, aeronautics, space, transport, and digital identity and security domains with solutions, services and products that help them fulfil their critical role, consideration for the individual being the driving force behind all decisions.
Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2021, the Group generated sales of €16.2 billion.
To learn more about Thales’ 5G SIM, click here.
