22 May 2023
Singapore’s telecoms regulator is preparing for the latest WiFi 6E technology, supporting wider channels with a plan to allocate 500MHz of spectrum in the 6GHz band.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) stated that the allocation will support 160MHz channels which are two- to eight-times wider than the 20MHz to 80MHz in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands used today. According to IMDA, the “wider 160MHz channels can deliver faster theoretical maximum” data rates of up to 9.6Gbps, “doubling the current maximum” and supporting “lower latency use cases.”
WiFi is typically the key connectivity medium taking over from fibre access through the country’s National Broadband Network for in-building access. IMDA said that it expects the enhanced WiFi connectivity to enable digital innovation by meeting an increasing demand for bandwidth-intensive and low-latency use cases. Compatible equipment and devices are expected to be commercially available by the third quarter of the year.
