Singtel and Ericsson have signed a five-year strategic partnership to expand Singapore’s 5G Advanced capabilities, accelerate AI-native applications, and build more reliable connectivity for businesses and consumers.
In a statement on Tuesday, Sweden’s Ericsson said the agreement builds on their past cooperation.
The companies recently tested AI-powered radio access network capabilities on a live network and recorded a 19 percent improvement in throughput. The result demonstrated AI’s potential in optimizing network resources and traffic efficiently.
Ng Tian Chong, CEO of Singtel Singapore, said demand on connectivity is changing quickly as AI becomes part of daily life and work. Networks must support autonomous machines, real-time analytics, and AI tools, he added. The priority is to make advanced capabilities more widely accessible and commercially viable while strengthening reliability, security, and performance.
Daniel Ode, head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines, and global customer unit lead for Singtel, said the partnership combines 5G, 5G Advanced, and AI-native operations to deliver programmable, differentiated connectivity for critical industries and everyday digital use.
Singtel plans to extend network slicing and programmable connectivity to support autonomous vehicles, industrial robotics, smart manufacturing, and intelligent logistics.
The companies will also explore opportunities at Changi Airport Terminal 5, Bulim Square and upcoming JTC industrial developments. Earlier enterprise work includes network slicing at PSA Singapore’s Tuas Port for automated vehicles and cranes.
For consumers, the companies will build on Singtel’s 5G+ offerings. Singtel says its 700 MHz spectrum deployment can improve coverage by up to 40 percent, particularly indoors. In 2025, it introduced 5G+ service tiers that use network slicing for faster, more consistent performance in crowded places.
The partners plan to use AI to forecast traffic patterns, allocate network resources, detect performance problems, and automate more of the radio and core network.
Singtel, IMDA offer AI data management access to up to 10,000 Singapore SMEs