M1 is third telco to launch non-standalone 5G; mobile plan available from Friday

KEPPEL Corp-owned telco M1 launched its 5G non-standalone network on Thursday, which means its customers can access it if they simply add on a 5G Booster pack to their existing mobile plan.

The latest move makes M1 the third mobile network operator to offer non-standalone 5G in Singapore, after StarHub in mid-August and Singtel earlier this month.

Customers with compatible devices can connect to the M1 5G network in the central business district, Orchard Road, Suntec City and Marina Bay regions from Friday.

The telco said in its announcement: "Over the next few months, the service will also be extended to additional parts of the city, covering key town centres across Singapore by the end of 2020." It did not name these neighbourhoods.

The price tag for non-standalone 5G connectivity ranges from S$15 for 25GB to S$40 for 100GB, with an early-bird discount of 70 per cent for sign-ups by year-end.

Manjot Singh Mann, chief executive of M1, said in a statement that "5G will play a pivotal role in boosting Singapore's digital economy". He added: "We're thrilled to bring the very best of this game-changing technology to our customers."

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M1 and StarHub plan to jointly roll out a standalone 5G network next year, with Singtel the other winning bidder tapped to operate a nationwide standalone 5G network.

Keppel Corp shares closed down by S$0.06, or 1.44 per cent, at S$4.10, before the latest announcement.