Under SMARTsafe, it is envisaged that Fullerton and M1 will provide 5G-powered telemedicine services to seafarers working onboard vessels out in the sea. During the showcase, there was a live demonstration of a mock medical situation whereby the seafarer had a teleconsultation with a Fullerton Health doctor on land and was able to order and receive a medicine package via drone delivery.

The telemedicine service will be officially launched in July 2023 and made available for all seafarers or employees from shipping companies in Singapore (both on land and in the anchorage) as long as they are connected to M1’s 5G network. 

Additionally, M1 launched and demonstrated 5G-powered maritime surveillance for onboard security as part of its SMARTsecure solutions. With 5G connectivity offshore, vessels out at sea will now be able to set up real-time video surveillance systems and receive seamless footage as they would have on land. 

These initiatives mark the next phase of M1’s 5G journey as part of its broader plans to provide ubiquitous 5G standalone (SA) offshore coverage for the southern coast of Singapore, part of continued progress on the Maritime 5G testbed efforts, announced last August.

“Undoubtedly, the partnership with M1 greatly improves the usability and accessibility of Fullerton Health’s services. We want to harness the 5G network to provide virtual healthcare solutions, including telehealth and remote patient monitoring and care team collaboration as the health and safety of port workers and sailors are critical to global trade and supply chains, and we are grateful to be able to contribute toward this. The future of healthcare digitalization is exciting, especially with the innovations that will come from 5G mobility”, said Ho Kuen Loon, Group CEO, Fullerton Health.

“We congratulate M1 and Fullerton Health on this MOU, and we welcome more companies to work with us to further boost Singapore as a leading regional hub for 5G innovation,”said Kiren Kumar, Deputy CEO, Development, IMDA.

5G-enabled innovation

A first-of-its-kind offering in Southeast Asia, M1’s 5G SA-powered solution-in-a-box suite includes M1 SMARTsafe, M1 SMARTsecure, M1 SMARTasset, and M1 SMARTops. These scalable 5G industry solutions enable M1 to grow new revenue streams as it will not only be providing 5G connectivity but also end-to-end servicing as a value-add to customers. 

This plug-and-play approach enables easier integration and deployment of 5G-powered solutions for companies in the maritime industry, with more industries to follow in the future.

“At the heart of Singapore’s digital future, our infrastructure connects all of us and powers new and exciting products and services,” said IMDA’s Kiren. “Singapore is one of the first few countries in the world to deploy nationwide 5G standalone coverage, and we have seen significant progress in the commercialization of 5G enterprise use-cases. IMDA will continue to support our businesses to experiment, innovate and commercialize the technologies of tomorrow.

“M1 continues to double down on our efforts to co-create and introduce viable 5G-enabled commercial solutions to further revolutionize Singapore’s maritime operations and make Maritime 5G a reality. This launch is a testament to our promise to deliver readily available innovative 5G solutions that can be adopted and rolled out easily by businesses to improve business efficiency. Going forward, M1 will continue to strengthen our position as a forerunner in 5G enterprise solutions by partnering with more businesses across various industries,” said Manjot Singh Mann, Chief Executive Officer, M1.