At NUS, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation and technology. Through a brilliant partnership with StarHub , Singapore’s very first outdoor wireless campus, powered by 5G and solar energy, is right here at NUS!  As an icing on the cake, this project cited by Starhub in their submission clinched the Connectivity-Telecommunications award in the annual SBR Technology Excellence Awards!

The SBR Technology Excellence Awards is part of the regional Asian Technology Excellence Awards now running in 50 countries. This annual awards programme highlights technological innovations, recognising exceptional companies in Singapore that are riding the digital disruption wave and leading the technological revolution and digital journeys of their respective industries.

In giving this award, the judging panel considered three major achievements of the project.

Firstly, it is 100% self-sustainable with solar panels powering all equipment, with enhancements for weather-resiliency and up-time in low light environments.

Secondly, its time-to-deploy was reduced by at least 50% with the elimination of laying underground conduits for power and fibre, also reducing associated resource investments.

Lastly, its total deployment costs were reduced by at least 50% compared to the traditional method of laying underground conduits for power and fibre.

Realising that the traditional approach of laying underground power and fibre optic cables required for outdoor wireless coverage posed a huge obstacle as it is labour-and-resource-intensive and costly, we sought an outdoor solution that could cover the vast open spaces within the campus to complement our high-performance indoor wireless network. Taking this into consideration, we worked together to develop and implement Singapore’s first outdoor wireless campus 5G backhaul and Wi-Fi!

The onsite installation for each setup was completed over a rapid four working days. Each setup was self-sufficient and resource-efficient, and comprised solar panels and a 5G router, solar charger, battery, and an IoT gateway housed securely within an enclosure.

The effectiveness and efficiency of the Outdoor Wi-Fi have unlocked the potential for us to extend wireless coverage to up to 100% of campus grounds, even in hard-to-reach areas, enabling seamless connectivity indoors and outdoors: from lecture theatres to car parks and open field areas.

The adoption of such improvements can enable us to continuously offer new ways of learning, improving competitiveness in education, research, and innovation. Cheers to all who were involved in this project and let us continue making NUS a smart, safe and sustainable campus! 🎉