Singapore / IMDA
On 6 March 2026, Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) published TS CMT Issue 1 Revision 4 — the updated Technical Specification for Cellular Mobile Terminals, covering handsets, portable devices, vehicle-mounted equipment and RF interface cards/modems on UMTS, LTE and 5G NR. It adds two new requirements on separate clocks: emergency cell broadcast support, already mandatory since 1 April 2026, and 2G disabled by default, which becomes enforceable on 31 December 2026.
Last updated 27 August 2026
IMDA's Technical Specification for Cellular Mobile Terminals sets the equipment standards for devices that connect to Singapore's cellular networks. Revision 4, published 6 March 2026, layers two new obligations onto the existing spec rather than replacing it wholesale. The first — emergency cell broadcast support — has already been in force since 1 April 2026: covered devices must be able to receive, store and display Cell Broadcast public-safety alerts, including multi-language warnings, simultaneous multiple notifications, and any embedded URLs or telephone numbers in the alert. The second — 2G disabled by default under section 5.2.3 — is not yet enforceable; it takes effect 31 December 2026.
Source: GMA Labs, "New IMDA Requirements for Mobile Phones in Singapore (2026 Update)"; iCertifi, "Singapore IMDA Publishes Updated Technical Specification For Cellular Mobile Terminals"; TÜV SÜD, "Singapore IMDA releases updated technical specification".
2G disabled by default is a firmware and default-configuration change, not a hardware redesign — but it still needs to be built, tested and shipped in production units before 31 December 2026, and radio/baseband firmware changes on cellular devices commonly need re-verification against the same equipment approval a hardware change would trigger. Devices must not connect, or attempt to connect, to a 2G network unless a user deliberately enables it through a settings menu or an explicit prompt — a default the device ships with, not a setting IMDA expects the retailer or carrier to configure at point of sale.
Any manufacturer or importer placing a cellular mobile terminal on the Singapore market — phones and tablets most directly, but also portable devices, vehicle-mounted cellular equipment, and RF interface cards or modems using UMTS/LTE/5G NR. A device range already compliant with the EU, US or another APAC market's cellular rules is not automatically compliant here: emergency cell broadcast behaviour and 2G default-state are Singapore-specific requirements layered on top of whatever baseline radio certification the device already holds.
It is Singapore's updated Technical Specification for Cellular Mobile Terminals — handsets, portable devices, vehicle-mounted equipment and RF interface cards/modems operating on UMTS, LTE or 5G NR — published by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on 6 March 2026. It adds two new compliance requirements on top of the existing technical spec.
Cellular mobile terminals sold in Singapore must support Emergency Cell Broadcast messaging — receiving, storing and displaying public safety alerts, including multi-language warnings, simultaneous multiple notifications, and embedded URLs or phone numbers. This has been in force since 1 April 2026.
From 31 December 2026, cellular mobile terminals sold in Singapore must ship with 2G connectivity switched off by default under TS CMT section 5.2.3 — the device must not connect or attempt to connect to a 2G network unless the user deliberately enables it (e.g. via a settings menu or an explicit prompt).
The requirements apply to cellular mobile terminals reaching the Singapore market after the respective enforcement dates. Devices already at end-of-life before their relevant enforcement date are excluded from that specific requirement.
Shipping a cellular device into Singapore alongside other APAC or Western markets usually means checking it against a different equipment-approval regime for each one, on a different clock. We fold the TS CMT emergency-broadcast and 2G-default checks into the same market-access review we run for the EU, US, Korea and China cellular requirements, so it's one process per product, not a separate one per country.
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