Why it’s time to get a 5G Standalone (SA) mobile plan
Why it’s time to get a 5G Standalone (SA) mobile plan
While 5G mobile plans are not new here in Singapore, customers now have their choice of 5G Standalone (SA) mobile plans versus earlier iterations of 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) plans. And with an increasing number of operators offering 5G SA, there’s never been a better time to make the switch to this next generation of wireless technology.
For example, the number one Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), as voted by Singapore in our HWM+Hardwarezone.com Tech Awards 2022, MyRepublic recently launched their highly competitive 5G SA mobile service offerings, giving those of us curious about a “true 5G” experience a great value option to consider.
What’s the big deal about 5G and 5G SA?
Just like how a 4G connection offers a big jump in performance from 3G and was considered quite revolutionary years ago, a 5G mobile plan is a tremendous step up in speed, latency and capacity. Depending on coverage (and assuming you have a 5G compatible phone of course) you could reasonably get up to 10 times the speed of a typical 4G connection.
Imagine taking half an hour to download a video file on 3G only for it to complete in less than 5 minutes on 4G. Today on 5G you would be able to download it faster than that.
Additionally, 5G networks are much better at handling network congestion and usage spikes. In other words, having many users on the same mobile network in a crowded area will have significantly less impact on one’s connection quality.
But not all 5G networks are built the same. You may have heard the term "true 5G", which refers to 5G SA, so called because it runs on a 5G network architecture that can stand on its own. By contrast, the earlier 5G NSA shares a 4G network core and leverages existing 4G infrastructure.
As building brand new 5G-dedicated architecture takes time and significant costs, 5G NSA is sometimes used as an “interim” step by operators, leveraging existing 4G architecture until the new one is ready. Ultimately, 5G SA is considered the “true” standard as such a network allows for the full potential of 5G technology to be realised.
Why it’s a great time to upgrade to 5G SA
While it is no secret that a 5G plan is generally more expensive than a 4G one, the latest competitive 5G offerings are quickly closing that gap, making 5G capabilities more affordable and accessible to anyone looking to experience the difference.
Beyond price considerations, here are a few reasons why one would seriously choose a 5G plan.
Uninterrupted entertainment on the go
There is little point having a super-fast mobile connection if you don’t have enough data allowance to use it.
Thankfully there are 5G SA plans today that come with generous data, allowing you to stream or download your favourite on-demand shows or live sports events seamlessly. For instance, MyRepublic’s 100GB a month at $19.95 plan on 5G SA not only packs a lot of data, it also has an unlimited data feature that does away with excess data charges (your speed gets managed if you go over your plan’s quota but you will not get charged for using additional data).
Be it K-dramas on Netflix to Marvel movies on Disney+ or heartwarming animal rescue videos on YouTube, we have plenty of options to keep ourselves entertained while out of the house and having a 5G connection means all video media will play more smoothly even at the highest resolutions.
With much faster 5G SA speeds, you could even quickly download entire movies or seasons of a TV show into your phone for viewing later if you are worried about losing coverage moving into a new area.
Next level gaming with no lag issues
Compared to video streaming or large file downloads, latency is all about how fast you are able to transmit little packets of data to a destination (such as a game server) and receive them back. Every millisecond (which is one thousandth of a second) adds up, with too much latency resulting in lag or a response delay.
Beyond greater bandwidth, 5G SA has been shown to deliver significantly better latency compared to 4G. And if you love online gaming, you should know how critical low and stable latency is to your gameplay experience.
In a 2021 Opensignal study, 5G in Singapore was scored as being on par with Wi-Fi and better than 4G in terms of providing an excellent gaming experience, and as the study notes this was back when 5G SA was only beginning to roll out across the island, so performance is potentially better today.
The real-time demands of competitive multiplayer mobile gaming like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang or Call of Duty: Mobile would especially benefit from the quality of a 5G SA connection, perhaps even giving you a competitive edge in play.
Staying connected and work from anywhere
Some of us have jobs that require us to travel frequently or involve a fair amount of waiting time between locations. With a 5G SA mobile plan, you would not have to rely on someone else’s Wi-Fi network to get work done and your phone (or 5G-compatible mobile dongle) would be a highly effective mobile hotspot to connect your work computer to.
Back in 2021 and the early days of 5G SA, Opensignal observed that 5G in Singapore was on average already delivering about 50 per cent faster speeds than publicly available Wi-Fi and several times faster than 4G.
In other words, if you can’t find a reliably fast Wi-Fi connection, 5G SA can help ensure you can download or sync large files to do your work. The generally lower latency of 5G SA also means more stable connectivity and better quality for those important work calls over video.
If you are concerned about 5G coverage, the good news is that most of Singapore is already covered. For example, MyRepublic’s 5G network coverage is available across 95 per cent of all Singapore outdoor areas.
Activate a 5G line with eSIM in less than 5 minutes
Last but not least, getting a 5G SA mobile plan is as simple as getting any 4G mobile plan. Every option you would expect is available: from basic things like number porting to roaming data add-ons to signing up with eSIM.
If you have a eSIM and 5G compatible device, getting a 5G mobile plan using eSIM is especially useful as it means you can order a plan and get connected to 5G without leaving the house. In other words, you can get it done yourself digitally and quickly. According to MyRepublic, the eSIM activation process can be done in less than 5 minutes total.
Additionally, if you have multiple mobile lines for different purposes like work and personal contacts, using eSIM allows you to use two numbers on one mobile phone without needing to physically switch SIM cards.
Worry-Free Unlimited 5G SA Plans from MyRepublic
To ensure their customers enjoy what they might have come to expect of MyRepublic Mobile service, MyRepublic's 5G Plus and 5G Ultimate plans not only come with abundant data (the latter offers 5GB per day), they also include well-loved features like free incoming calls, free caller ID and no contract.
The unlimited data feature of all MyRepublic plans also guarantees you will not pay more for going beyond your plan’s data allowance, which is a welcome peace of mind.
Those of you who travel often to Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand will appreciate how these MyRepublic 5G plans also come with 1GB of free monthly roaming data to those countries for 6 months.
Visit myrepublic.net/sg/5g to learn about MyRepublic’s 5G mobile plans.