Changi’s airside 5G experiment
Singtel, together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) launched a 5G Aviation Testbed at Changi Airport Terminal 3’s airside.
The trial will see companies leverage 5G tech, implementing new solutions and elevating airside operations at the world renowned airport.
Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO, Changi Airport Group, said,
“The increased reliability and enhanced connectivity of the 5G network is a key enabler for Changi Airport. The technology lets us pilot systems that require reliable communications infrastructure for real time collaboration and decision making […] With this testbed available to the stakeholders in the airport community, we can take a collective step forward in enhancing manpower productivity and boosting operational efficiency at Changi Airport.”
Alongside side the potential for advanced remote inspection of aircraft and the use of video analytics and AI to predict aircraft turnaround time, the press release highlights two projects already unlocking the potential of the 5G Aviation Testbed: autonomous vehicles (AV) and the secure ground transfer of critical flight data between aircraft and its data centres.
Tele-operations of autonomous vehicles
The 5G Aviation Testbed will elevate the airport’s AV capabilities, allowing the continuous monitoring of operations in real-time, using high-definition video streams with low latency and high transmission stability, to allow operators to supervise the operations remotely. It will also allow CAG to learn about the different requirements for a 5G network infrastructure in the airport setting.
Secure ground transfer of critical flight data between aircraft and its data centres
Currently, to transfer the latest data to the an aircraft for use during a flight, Singapore Airlines (SIA) uses the Gatelink Wi-Fi system. This means the transfer can only occur while the aircraft is docked at Changi aircraft stands and connected to the system. The testbed will streamline this process, decreasing the use of fibre optic cables with the use of 5G wireless data transmission and improving connection speeds.
After two years, CAAS will review the results and potentially grow the initiative to wide-scale deployment at the airport.
What do you think are the most transformative impacts of 5G on airside ops?
For more on Changi see:
- The latest interactive, AI-powered retail experience at Changi Airport
- Changi Airport enters the metaverse
- Efficient Technology at Terminal 4 Changi Airport
