Thales 5G SIM to be deployed by Singapore’s Mobile Network Operators

• Singtel, StarHub, and M1 are using Thales’ 5G SIM to launch their standalone 5G services.
• Singapore is the first country in South East Asia where Thales’ 5G SIM has been adopted by all three major Mobile Network Operators, with the SIM cards’ modules manufactured locally.
• Thales’ 5G SIMs offer secure encryption during authentication to experience greater bandwidth and network speed. They also ensure an enhanced level of data privacy and protection. 

As 5G in Singapore continues to experience rampant deployment, Singtel, StarHub and M1 have opted for Thales’ 5G SIM to launch their standalone 5G services. Singapore will be the first country in Southeast Asia where Thales’ 5G SIM has been adopted by all three major mobile network operators (MNOs).

Thales announced the industry’s first 5G SIM in order to meet stringent operator requirements for the new generation of network deployments in 2019. The Thales 5G SIM is a tamper-proof secure element, which is the only solution to secure 5G network access. It aims at directly addressing the key 5G attributes which are enhanced mobile broadband, massive IoT, critical communications.

By 2024, 5G network coverage is expected to reach 40% of the global population, accounting for 1.5 billion subscriptions worldwide. In Singapore, the aim is to develop a resilient and secure 5G infrastructure with two nationwide networks by 2025, equipped with full-fledged 5G capabilities that can drive innovation in a digital economy.

The SIM cards’ chip modules are manufactured locally at Thales’ production facility in Singapore, its largest multi-module production site. To date, Thales has successfully rolled out 5G SIM technology to several major MNOs, and has tested the technology with close to 50 MNOs throughout the world.

One of the strongest capabilities of Thales’ 5G SIM is its enhanced level of data privacy, including a new generation of authentication algorithms. The subscribers’ identities will be fully anonymized using onboard identity encryption, enabling them to comply with local PDPA regulations. By making the mobile networks more trusted and resilient, the Thales 5G SIM helps secure the entire SIM lifecycle, reducing the level of fraud and vulnerability to cyberattacks and accidental breaches.

According to Kevin Chow, Country Director and Chief Executive, Thales in Singapore, 5G will be the first generation that will see a convergence of telecom networks, IT, and Cloud providers, while 5G SIM virtualization presents vast opportunities for MNOs and mobile manufacturers to move up the value chain.

As such, Chow believes Thales’ partnership with Singapore’s leading MNOs, Singtel, StarHub, and M1, for their 5G SIM needs enables them to provide their customers with the best possible mobile experience, while also safeguarding their privacy and data against cyberthreats.

“Our long expertise and a strong industrial footprint in Singapore enables us to develop sustainable 5G use cases that can help drive future adoption of 5G technologies locally,” added Chow.

Singapore’s 5G networks went live in the second half of 2020 after the pandemic had begun. However, the country is yet to fully experience 5G with more use cases and testing being trialed and developed. In May 2021, Singtel, in partnership with Ericsson became the first operator to launch 5G standalone in Singapore.

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