en.Wedoany.com Reported - Singapore's National Healthcare Group (NHG Health) and Singaporean telecommunications operator Singtel have jointly announced a partnership to deploy 5G+ priority networks at community health posts in the central and northern regions of Singapore. The collaboration plans to cover 40 community health sites by the end of 2027, with the first phase starting at the first "Active Ageing Centre (Community)" in Toa Payoh, and gradually expanding to Woodlands, Sembawang, and Yishun. This initiative aims to replace previously unstable Wi-Fi connections with 5G+ network slicing technology, providing stable and reliable teleconsultation services for the elderly in the community.
This collaboration focuses on introducing carrier-grade deterministic network capabilities into community healthcare scenarios. Singtel will sponsor 40 5G+ priority SIM cards to 40 community health posts located within Active Ageing Centres, providing enhanced connectivity with network slicing capabilities. Network slicing is an end-to-end logical network partitioning technology that can isolate dedicated virtual network channels on shared physical infrastructure, achieving deterministic assurance for specific services from the access network, bearer network, to the core network. This technology will specifically allocate independent network resources for teleconsultations, ensuring sustained high-performance transmission of medical service data streams even during network congestion. It is equivalent to opening a dedicated digital channel for community healthcare that is unaffected by public traffic fluctuations.
Breaking the reliance on Wi-Fi is the core driving force of this project. Previously, NHG Health had introduced teleconsultation services at community health posts, aiming to extend care closer to residents. However, issues such as unstable Wi-Fi signals, co-channel interference, and insufficient bandwidth severely constrained the quality of real-time video consultations. These problems are particularly pronounced in community public spaces: concurrent access by multiple users during peak hours, wireless signal crosstalk from adjacent facilities, and complex physical obstructions within buildings collectively constitute the reliability bottleneck of Wi-Fi networks. Video freezing and audio dropouts not only affect the efficiency of doctor-patient communication but also limit the large-scale promotion of teleconsultation services.
The 5G+ priority connection will be complemented by eSIM management and scalable managed services, providing a more stable real-time video consultation experience between community health teams and residents. Furthermore, network slicing undertakes a critical function: enabling independent transmission of medical data through logical isolation, thereby meeting the stringent requirements for data security and privacy protection in medical scenarios. Sensitive health information completes closed-loop transmission within the dedicated slice, physically isolated from public network traffic, eliminating the risk of data interception or leakage during transmission. From a practical application perspective, this technology will directly support high-frequency remote services such as daily care consultations and chronic disease management.
NHG Health currently operates 105 community health posts in central and northern Singapore, most located in or near Active Ageing Centres, covering a large population group aged 60 and above. Since early 2026, NHG Health has been progressively upgrading the functions of these sites, one core aspect being the introduction of high-frequency teleconsultation services: residents can have daily online consultations with nurses during centre opening hours, and communicate with pharmacists and dietitians every two weeks. Additionally, community health posts also carry public health functions such as frailty prevention and management, with the "Be Fit, Not Frail" program already implemented in over 40 sites.
NHG Health has launched its first community health hub in Woodlands. The community health hub features an interactive spatial design, integrating access to health and social care information, face-to-face consultations, teleconsultations, and self-monitoring of health indicators such as blood pressure. This site has been connected to Singtel's 5G+ priority network, becoming the first community health space supported by network slicing technology. As slicing further integrates with edge computing capabilities, community health sites are expected to develop richer AI-assisted diagnostic and treatment capabilities—completing simple processes like screening and initial diagnosis within the community in a closed loop while ensuring data remains on-premises, thereby reducing the non-essential burden on higher-level medical institutions.
Professor Heng Yee Keat, Group CEO of NHG Health, expressed anticipation for the collaboration: "Our partnership with Singtel marks a significant step forward in how we care for our residents. Through technology, residents can choose to stay connected with our community health team even if they are not physically present on that day. This tech-enabled approach brings care closer to the community and home, while reducing unnecessary trips to hospitals or clinics for residents and caregivers."
Mr. Ng Tian Chong, CEO of Singtel Singapore, pointed out: "As Singapore's population ages, the demand for accessible community healthcare is growing. This collaboration between NHG Health and Singtel will leverage technology to bring healthcare services closer to the community and lay the foundation for continuous innovation in care models." Both parties also revealed they are exploring extending the collaboration scope from community spaces further into residents' homes, providing connectivity services and related devices to residents.
As one of the fastest-aging countries in Asia, community healthcare is becoming a critical node for relieving pressure on hospitals in Singapore. This practice of supporting community healthcare with deterministic communication services shifts 5G network capabilities from consumer-grade speed enhancement to medical-grade reliability assurance, providing a reference example for the digital upgrade of community healthcare in the Asia-Pacific region.
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