The growing adoption of 5G services in Singapore is set to drive revenue stability and innovation in the telecom sector, counteracting the decline in mobile voice service revenue. By the end of 2029, the country’s total mobile service revenue is expected to reach $2.0 billion, maintaining a steady compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.8% from 2024 to 2029, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s Singapore Mobile Broadband Forecast (Q4-2024) reveals that mobile voice service revenue will decline at a 5.4% CAGR over the forecast period due to the widespread consumer shift towards over-the-top- based (OTT) communication platforms and the subsequent decline in voice service average revenue per user (ARPU) levels.
Mobile data service revenue, on the other hand, will increase at a healthy CAGR of 5.2% between 2024 and 2029, driven by the growing consumption of mobile data services and projected rise in higher-ARPU yielding-5G subscriptions as 5G services become more widely available across the country.
Kantipudi Pradeepthi, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, says: “4G will remain the leading mobile technology, in terms of subscriptions, until 2024. 5G service will see its subscriptions surpass 4G subscriptions in 2025 and is expected to account for an impressive 90% share of the total mobile subscriptions by the end of 2029. This growth in 5G subscriptions will be primarily driven by the rising demand for highspeed data services, ongoing 5G network expansions by MNOs, and a subsequent increase in availability of 5G services across the nation.”
Singtel will continue to dominate the mobile services market in terms of subscriptions through 2029, given its strong position in both the prepaid and postpaid segments and its focus on 5G network developments and expansion across the country. In February 2025, Singtel upgraded its 5G offering to 5G+ service with the deployment of the 700 MHz spectrum, enabling stronger signals (up to 40%) in high-rise indoor and underground locations, wider coverage, including in remote areas and improved connectivity for both consumers and enterprises.
Pradeepthi concludes: “Singapore’s telecom market is undergoing a pivotal transformation, with 5G adoption serving as the key driver of future growth. The shift towards data-centric services, coupled with strong infrastructure investments by major players like Singtel, will not only sustain market stability but also pave the way for innovation in IoT, M2M services, and advanced connectivity solutions, positioning Singapore as a regional telecom leader.”
