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StarHub upgrades 4G speeds to keep pace with rivals [TeleGeography CommsUpdate](TeleGeography CommsUpdate Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Singaporean fixed and mobile operator StarHub has upgraded data speeds on its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network as it looks to keep pace with rivals SingTel Mobile and M1 Limited (M1). As the city-state market prepares for a faster, new evolution of smartphones StarHub says the upgraded network – which will double peak download data speeds to 300Mbps – will allow its subscribers to fully utilise devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge and Note 4, which are due to hit the market in the coming months; the iPhone 6 has also been launched in Singapore, which is rumoured to also support 300Mbps surfing. StarHub's latest network upgrade follows hard on the heels of a move in July to upgrade parts of the 4G network to 150Mbps at select locations. The 300Mbps upgrade is initially being deployed in the Central Business District and Orchard Road and will be online by the end of the year, with the whole of Singapore set to be upgraded by the end of next year.*However, StarHub is still playing catch-up to its rivals SingTel and M1. The former – which commercially launched its upgraded LTE network last month to coincide with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5 4G+ phone – now boasts that more than 50% of the island is served with a maximum 300Mbps connection, with full coverage expected in Q1 2015. Typical speeds on its network are between 20Mbps and 140Mbps, or double those on the standard 4G network. Meanwhile, M1 also claims its 4G+ network covers more than half of Singapore, with nationwide coverage slated by the end of this year. (c) 2014 PriMetrica, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |