giga blog about 5G+ vs 5G
5G vs 5G+
5G+ isn't a newer generation than 5G. The 5G vs 5G+ difference comes down to spectrum: on StarHub's network, 5G+ is 5G with extra low-band added, and what that mostly gets you is better coverage and faster speeds indoors and underground. You're still on the same generation, the same plan and the same SIM, just with more reach. For giga, it's giga speeds and greater roaming in one launch, with Asia Roam now reaching 24 countries on selected plans.
What 5G+ Improves
- Indoor coverage: the main event. Low-band reaches into lift lobbies, basement car parks, stairwells and the inner rooms of older buildings that mid-band struggles to serve.
- Underground coverage: MRT platforms, tunnels and basement levels, where signal previously dropped to 4G or to nothing.
- Crowded places: 5G+ adds network capacity and uses it to improve performance in busy places, so a cell serving a full stadium, a mall at the weekend or a packed train has more room to work with.
- Consistency at the edges: fewer dead patches, and faster speeds where the signal used to fade.
Which Singapore Telcos Use the 5G+ Name
StarHub and Singtel both market 5G+, and they mean related but distinct things by it.
- StarHub: 5G+ refers to 700MHz low-band spectrum added to its 5G network, switched on across its 5G mobile plans on 1 September 2026, with the benefit described as better and faster coverage indoors and underground. giga runs on StarHub's network, which is what sits behind Wide Coverage and Network with giga.
- Singtel: uses 5G+ for an upgraded 5G experience that it describes in terms of network slicing, where a defined portion of network capacity is reserved for particular traffic, alongside low-band spectrum
Unlike 5G NSA, 700mhz on 5G SA spells good news not only to 5G users but to 4G users too
4G LTE in Singapore primarily operates on the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2600 MHz bands.5G 700MHz (specifically 3GPP band n28) operates on a completely separate, lower-frequency block (roughly 700–800 MHz).
Because they run on entirely different "lanes" of the radio spectrum, 5G 700MHz signals do not overlap with or steal bandwidth from existing 4G channels.
In a congestion in singapore context does 5G 700mhz affects 4G network bandwidth ?
In the context of network congestion in Singapore, the deployment of 5G on the 700MHz frequency band does not negatively affect 4G network bandwidth. In fact, it actively helps alleviate 4G network congestion.
Here is how the interaction works:
1. Separate Spectrum Frequencies (No Direct Interference)
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) allocates distinct frequency bands for different generations of mobile networks:
4G LTE in Singapore primarily operates on the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2600 MHz bands.5G 700MHz (specifically 3GPP band n28) operates on a completely separate, lower-frequency block (roughly 700–800 MHz).
Because they run on entirely different "lanes" of the radio spectrum, 5G 700MHz signals do not overlap with or steal bandwidth from existing 4G channels.
2. Offloading 4G Congestion (The "Relief Valve" Effect)
In high-density or highly congested areas in Singapore—such as crowded MRT tunnels during peak hours, basement car parks, or dense HDB estates—4G networks often slow down due to user overload.
When major local telcos like Singtel and StarHub deployed their 700MHz 5G+ networks, they created a massive coverage layer capable of penetrating deep indoors and underground. When 5G-enabled devices seamlessly connect to the 700MHz 5G network, it offloads traffic away from the 4G network. This frees up slot capacity and bandwidth on the 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 2600MHz bands for remaining 4G-only users.
if the 5G 700MHz spectrum (which telcos like Singtel and StarHub use for deep indoor and underground coverage) becomes heavily congested, your device will typically remain throttled (slowed down) on the 5G network first, rather than immediately dropping to 4G.
