Singapore Changi Airport Testing Benefits of 5G Airside

Dark/Light Mode (31/07/23)  Earlier this year, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) launched a 5G Aviation Testbed at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3’s airside, in partnership with Singtel.

The testbed allows companies operating at Changi Airport T3 airside to leverage 5G’s high bandwidth, high-speed connectivity, and ultra low latency to trial and adopt new solutions, which would help raise productivity for critical airside functions, including aircraft ground operations, ground handling and line maintenance services.

As part of the trial, close to 4,000 Singtel 4G corporate mobile user lines at the airside have been given complimentary upgrades to 5G lines to facilitate the development of such use cases and augment the connectivity of aviation workers at the airside. Singtel is also gradually extending its 5G network coverage to encompass public areas in all terminals by the end of 2025.

5G Mast. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

Two projects, which are already tapping on the 5G Aviation Testbed, are the tele-operations of autonomous vehicles (AV) and the secure ground transfer of critical flight data between aircraft and its data centres, as outlined below:

a) AV trials for baggage transport started in 2020 to develop technology to raise manpower productivity. The 5G Aviation Testbed will raise the airport’s AV capabilities to a higher level, allowing the continuous monitoring of AV operations in real-time, using high-definition video streams with low latency and high transmission stability, such that operators can supervise AV operations remotely. The testbed will allow airport stakeholders to trial procedures and systems for remote tele-operation. It will also allow CAG to learn about the different requirements for a 5G network infrastructure in the airport setting.

b) Singapore Airlines (SIA) relies on the Gatelink Wi-Fi system to transfer data, such as the latest weather and airport data, to the aircraft for use during flight. Currently, data transfer only occurs when the aircraft is docked at Changi Airport’s aircraft stands, and when the aircraft is able to connect to the Gatelink Wi-Fi system. The 5G Aviation Testbed will allow SIA to cut down on the long implementation lead-time, and decrease the use of significant amounts of fibre optic cables to connect to the Wireless Access Points. These cables will be replaced with 5G wireless data transmission, providing the same amount of coverage with enhanced connection speeds, without the need for any aircraft modification to take place. Through the 5G Aviation Testbed, aircraft parked at adjacent remote stands will also be able to receive data coverage, which was previously not feasible. Singtel’s Mobile Edge Computing will also be able to address computing resources and space constraint issues, without the need to deploy additional equipment.

Other potential use cases being explored for the 5G Aviation Testbed include advanced remote inspection of aircraft, and the use of video analytics and artificial intelligence to better predict aircraft turnaround time and drive on-time performance.

Mr Ng Tian Chong, Chief Executive Officer, Singtel Singapore, said, “With Singtel’s 5G powering this testbed, participating agencies and solution providers will be able to exploit our ultra-low latency, high-speed connectivity to develop and trial novel and innovative solutions that can enhance the operational efficiency and safety of flight operations at the airside and eventually apply them at scale. These solutions may include autonomous vehicles or robots that can be deployed in areas susceptible to environmental elements like lightning strikes and storms. We’re excited to be supporting Changi Airport and its partners in their continued efforts to reinvent, transform and lead the sector globally.”

Supported by Changi Airport Group (CAG), the testbed went live in March 2023 and will last for two years.

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