Singapore Telecommunications : Singtel to enhance customer experience in trial of Ericsson LTE broadcast and Wi-Fi calling

SINGAPORE, 2 March 2015 - Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) has partnered Ericsson to trial LTE (Long-Term Evolution) Broadcast and voice over Wi-Fi calling, to lift video and voice experiences to a new level for customers in Singapore. 

The first trial of video delivery with LTE Broadcast will be at the 28th South East Asian (SEA) Games which will be held in Singapore from 5-16 June 2015. 

With LTE Broadcast technology, Singtel will enable its subscribers to enjoy the live TV experience of watching the sporting events on their smart devices, while at the same time managing network costs and efficiency. The trial also aims to showcase the commercial viability of the technology for businesses in Singapore. 

Based on Ericsson's Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) solution, LTE Broadcast will enable a virtually unlimited number of mobile users in densely populated areas to simultaneously stream high quality live broadcast videos to their mobile devices. The solution makes the most efficient use of mobile frequency spectrum and network resources. 

Singtel and Ericsson will also undertake Singapore's first Wi-Fi calling trial. Singtel subscribers will be able to make and receive calls using their home Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi areas, extending the coverage of Singtel's mobile services.  Users will also be able to enjoy seamless call handover between LTE and Wi-Fi as well as faster call set-up times. 

Mr Tay Soo Meng, Singtel's Group Chief Technology Officer, says: "We are committed to enriching the lives of our customers by transforming the mobile-broadband user experience and providing superior video and voice services. Our customers will soon enjoy high quality video content with LTE Broadcast, and seamless voice service continuity between local Wi-Fi access points and the 4G network. 

"The trial of this new technology in Singapore will also serve as a valuable pilot for future deployment in other markets that we operate in. LTE Broadcast would be fantastic in a market such as Australia, where live sports broadcast is extremely popular." 

Mr Nicholas Seow, Head of Ericsson Singapore and Brunei, says: "Ericsson's LTE Broadcast technology addresses the growing demand for high quality video content on mobile devices. Wi-Fi calling allows operators to benefit from cost-efficient deployment of extended voice coverage and fast time-to-market. The two trials reflect Ericsson's technology leadership in the LTE domain, and give a glimpse of what the Networked Society can offer people, business and society."