StarHub Outlines 3 Priorities for Network Transformation

StarHub has outlined three key priorities driving its network transformation, focusing on network experience, operational efficiency, and API-driven enterprise connectivity.

Speaking at FutureNet Asia 2026, StarHub Chief Technology Officer Volkan Sevindik detailed the operator’s roadmap to enhance resilience and support emerging AI workloads across Singapore.

SIM-based security for autonomous agents

The telco aims to resolve authorization risks as businesses deploy AI software to negotiate contracts and trigger automated transactions. Because carriers control the underlying connectivity infrastructure, they can authenticate machine-to-machine traffic before data hits enterprise systems.

Internal network automation follows a vetted deployment model rather than running millions of unmanaged bots. The carrier maintains a small pool of compliant AI agents bound by regulatory guardrails, protecting core routing systems from compromised code.

Network operations rely on an observability layer that feeds into closed-loop automation. The system detects transport faults early. It then resolves packet drops before subscribers experience service degradation.

Enterprise APIs and fraud controls

Commercial application programming interfaces form the operational foundation of this enterprise push. Banks use the carrier’s location APIs to verify that a customer’s registered handset is physically near an ATM during cash withdrawals.

Identity verification interfaces also flag recent SIM swaps to counter digital banking account takeovers. Healthcare networks use the same pipes to confirm patient contact records in real time.

Cloud-native software and hybrid cloud environments process these queries alongside the carrier’s AI infrastructure. This setup cuts processing overhead across domestic enterprise workloads.

Granular network slicing on 5G Standalone

StarHub is expanding its 5G+ deployment by using machine learning models to slice its 5G Standalone core down to individual applications. Conventional network slicing assigns broad performance tiers to millions of consumer handsets at once.

The updated architecture provisions isolated bandwidth and latency parameters for dedicated corporate tasks. In-country data centers host inference engines to keep enterprise compute traffic inside Singapore borders.

Direct subsea cable routes connect these domestic facilities to regional hubs and the United States. This routing provides cross-border failover protection against core transport disruptions.

Long-term modernization track

Listed on the Singapore Exchange mainboard since 2004, the telco has steadily overhauled its legacy routing and data layers. It implemented data virtualization through Denodo in September 2020, consolidating siloed databases and eliminating shadow IT systems across consumer and corporate divisions.

This shift toward API-driven enterprise security mirrors regional competition among operators seeking to monetize 5G Standalone investments beyond basic data bundles.

Over the next three years, the operator will expand application-specific cybersecurity tiers, tailoring encryption and threat isolation to corporate risk profiles.