What Singapore’s Proposed COPIF Changes Mean for Buildings and Telcos

Rooftops would remain the preferred mobile location where feasible

IMDA’s proposal retains the principle that rooftop space should be used for mobile deployment where feasible. The space would be provided without rent for the relevant mobile equipment, allowing rooftop base stations to support coverage inside the building and, where appropriate, surrounding areas.

This is a planning obligation for the building owner—not a guarantee that every rooftop will receive equipment. MNOs would still determine whether a location is technically appropriate and would be responsible for their own network deployment. The consultation paper also proposes safeguards around the structural safety of mobile installations, including professional certification at the MNO’s expense before works begin.

Lamp posts and other street furniture could support small-cell coverage

The consultation also considers rent-free deployment space on street furniture, including lamp posts. This would give operators additional locations for smaller mobile installations in places where rooftops are unavailable or do not provide the required street-level coverage.

Access to these structures is relevant to denser 5G networks, which may need more closely spaced installations to deliver capacity in busy outdoor areas. The earlier consultation material describes such deployments as important for areas including parks, green corridors and highways.

The proposal would therefore extend the planning question beyond buildings: owners of relevant street furniture may need to plan for telecom equipment and coordinate access, while MNOs would handle the installation and operation of their networks.

New B1 requirements would prepare buildings for basement connectivity

For new buildings, IMDA proposes extending telecommunications risers and installing telecommunications cable trays to the basement-one (B1) carpark, alongside electrical cable trays.

Risers are vertical pathways that carry and protect telecom cables between floors, while cable trays provide routes for distributing those cables. Designing both through to B1 would make it easier for operators to improve mobile and fixed-line connectivity in basement carparks without opening up completed structures or carrying out major retrofit work.

The focus on B1 reflects its practical role in many buildings. It can be used for ride-hailing pick-ups, food and parcel deliveries, and emergency access, making reliable connectivity useful for residents, tenants, visitors and service providers. The proposal does not currently extend the same requirement below B1, where footfall is generally lower and more transient.

What building owners and telcos would need to do

Building owners and developers

Under the proposed approach, owners and developers would need to:

• reserve designated mobile-installation space without imposing rent for the relevant deployment;
• incorporate suitable rooftop or other mobile locations into the development design where applicable;
• plan the required risers and cable trays through to B1; and
• coordinate the passive facilities needed for mobile and fixed-line network deployment.

These obligations concern space, pathways and other building infrastructure. They do not mean that an owner would select the operator’s equipment or design the operator’s network.

Mobile and other telecommunications operators

MNOs would be expected to participate earlier in the design process, identify technically suitable deployment locations and install their network equipment in the reserved spaces. They would also need to account for structural-safety requirements before carrying out mobile works.

The division of responsibility is designed to match each party’s role: owners provide the building-ready environment, while operators determine how their networks should be engineered and deployed.

Why IMDA is proposing the changes

The review is aimed at supporting the upgrading and deployment of mobile and fixed-line infrastructure, including in buildings that provide vital services.

Planning the facilities upfront could help:

• avoid disputes over where equipment should be located;
• reduce costly or disruptive retrofits;
• shorten the time needed to deploy coverage in new buildings;
• improve service in basement carparks and other difficult locations; and
• provide additional outdoor locations for higher-capacity mobile networks.

For residents and tenants, the practical benefit would be more reliable access to mobile service when moving into a building, coordinating deliveries or contractors, working, and staying in contact. B1 readiness could also make it easier to address poor coverage in areas used for ride-hailing, deliveries and emergency access.

Future applications are an objective, not a guarantee

IMDA’s consultation links better network density and street-level capacity to a more connected future, including services such as autonomous vehicles and delivery robots. Those examples describe the type of connectivity-dependent use that improved infrastructure could support; they do not guarantee that the proposed COPIF changes will deliver any particular application.

That distinction matters. The proposals primarily concern the physical conditions needed for network deployment—space, access and cable pathways. Actual coverage, capacity and future services would still depend on operator investment, technical design, demand and other factors.

When would the changes take effect?

There is no confirmed commencement date in the cited 2026 consultation material. IMDA must first consider consultation responses and issue an amended COPIF, if it decides to proceed. Until then, the proposals should not be treated as already binding. The latest published COPIF 2018 and its guidelines are listed by IMDA as effective from 15 December 2018.

The immediate takeaway for project teams is to watch for the final amended code and, in the meantime, consider telecom space, rooftop access and B1 pathways early in the design of new developments. That is the direction of travel in IMDA’s proposal—but the final requirements and start date remain unsettled.