Just as Singapore homes are starting to sign up for ultrafast 10Gbps broadband services, Singtel is pushing ahead with a technical trial of 50Gbps fibre broadband services which promise fives faster speeds than today, at least on paper.
The country’s largest telecom operator says the new services, when widely available in three to five years, will enable new uses such as augmented and virtual reality experiences as well as AI-enabled homes and businesses.
Potentially, 8K and 12K video streaming services could also take advantage of the faster speeds, along with telemedicine and remote diagnostics for at-home medical devices, according to Singtel.
The upcoming 50Gbps tests, to be conducted in a laboratory environment, will be based on the XGS-PON fibre broadband technology.
After this initial trial, Singtel expects to test the technology with business customers, followed by home users, a spokesperson told Techgoondu today.
Singtel had announced the trial yesterday, claiming to be the first in Singapore to pilot 50Gbps fibre broadband. Around the world, Britain and China have also tested the technology so far.
While it may seem that Singapore is already on the fast lane with more homes taking up 10Gbps broadband, thanks to falling prices, other service providers in Asia have tested or rolled out ever faster connections.
Taiwan’s Homeplus and Hong Kong’s HKBN have upgraded their networks in the past year or two to be ready for 25Gbps residential broadband services, which are much faster than what most home users will need.
