Give me five anytime!

We live in an era where fast and stable connectivity is essential for almost any task. With the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has become commonplace, and the need for a superior Internet connection at home or while you’re on the go is now more urgent than ever.

An unreliable Internet connection can wreak havoc on a user’s online experiences, resulting in disrupted video conferences, slow downloading of large files and jerky video playbacks. Such hiccups not only result in productivity loss but could give your colleagues a bad impression if they occur during work scenarios.

UNLOCKING THE POWER OF 5G

Enter Singtel’s 5G standalone (SA) network, which promises to alleviate productivity loss caused by inferior Internet connectivity. Compared to the telco’s 4G network, its 5G SA delivers twice the responsiveness, 30 per cent faster uploads and strengthened authentication and encryption capabilities — attributes that make it the perfect complement to the bandwidth-demanding lifestyles of working professionals like Mr Ng Bingrong, a deputy director in the public service sector.

Mr Ng won a Singtel PowerUp 5G Kit that gave him early access to Singtel’s 5G SA that was launched on May 25 this year. For the 39-year-old, the network’s ultra-fast download speeds and ultra-low latency have translated into vastly smoother video call and video streaming experiences.

SEAMLESS STREAMING ON THE GO 

Mr Ng frequently uses mobile apps such as Facebook, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, YouTube, YouTube Kids and Amazon Prime and has observed an immediate and significant difference in the speed, smoothness and quality with which videos are streamed over the 5G SA network — which has been named Singapore’s fastest based on benchmark tests conducted by Internet connection analysis service provider Ookla in Q1 and Q2 2021.

“When I used 4G, there would typically be a short lag when videos would buffer before they play. With the 5G network, videos play instantly. I enjoy uninterrupted viewing as there is also no lag during video playback,” he shared.

His video conferencing experiences on Zoom and Microsoft Teams have also improved.

“With 4G, it was not uncommon to experience severe lag when the video function is enabled,” said Mr Ng, adding that this lag would be even more pronounced when his work laptop used tethering for Internet connection. “Since switching to 5G, I have no problems conducting video conferences even when I am on the go, and I use video conferencing more.”

Mr Ng used to rely primarily on voice calls for work while on the go due to the lag from 4G. With smoother video calls now, he can engage other participants better at his virtual meetings as he can see them rather than just hear disembodied voices.

It is not just his work that has benefitted from his consistent Internet connection. Said Mr Ng: “As I can get reliable, high-speed Internet anytime, anywhere, I tend to watch more videos when I’m out, having a meal alone or when waiting for my family during our excursions.”

A BOON FOR BUILDING PROFESSIONALS

Another lucky winner of Singtel’s PowerUp 5G Kit is architect Sherwin Teo. Gaining access to Singtel’s 5G SA network has not only improved his video conferencing and social media experiences but has facilitated the smooth running of industry-specific, data-intensive applications — a significant boon as his job often requires him to be on the move.

“5G has proven to be a lifesaver since I started using it in August,” shared the 44-year-old.

Mr Teo’s job requires him to use modelling software iRhino 3D and BIM 360, a cloud-based collaboration application that enables the coordination of drawings with other industry professionals. Since switching to Singtel’s 5G network, he has observed a marked improvement in the performance of these applications.

Uploading drawings over BIM 360 no longer strains the battery life of his mobile devices. “I no longer have to wait a long time to download drawings from BIM 360,” said Mr Teo. “It’s now much faster and there is less risk of file corruption and subsequent time wastage when uploading drawings to the BIM cloud.”

He explained that panning and orbiting a 3D model on iRhino, an essential part when he explains procedures to contractors and sub-contractors, used to be a challenging task over the 4G network due to lag. “With 5G, models can now be manipulated much more seamlessly.”

“While I wouldn’t say these apps can’t be used over 4G, 5G has allowed me to be as efficient as I would be while using the Wi-Fi network at home,” Mr Teo said. “If 5G is widespread and the adoption rate is high, this will be a boost to overall digitisation efforts for the building industry.  5G helps to minimise the time building professionals spend at construction sites and caters for flexibility.”

Referencing the responsiveness of Singtel 5G SA network, Mr Teo highly recommends it to his fellow professionals and also for recreational purposes.

Said Mr Teo: “My Instagram and Facebook apps load almost instantaneously now. In the past, the pages sometimes took longer to load and that made it difficult for me to catch up on the latest social media feeds.”

Find out more about how Singtel 5G can transform the way you live, work and play.