Two iconic satellite dishes along BKE dismantled; site to be used for future infrastructure

SINGAPORE – Motorists travelling along the BKE may have noticed that two iconic satellite dishes, a fixture near Rifle Range Road for almost four decades, have been dismantled.

A Singtel spokesperson confirmed on April 15 that the satellite antennas are no longer at the Bukit Timah Satellite Earth Station, adding that removal works began in the first quarter of 2026.

“They have been removed to make way for future infrastructure that will support the evolving connectivity needs of enterprises and customers,” the spokesperson said.

Built in the 1980s to support international traffic on legacy satellites, the antennas were no longer in use when they were removed. Hence, no services or customers were affected by their removal.

The Bukit Timah Satellite Earth Station was officially opened in 1987 to increase Singapore’s international telecommunications traffic capacity.

The first earth station on Sentosa, which opened in 1971, could not accommodate additional antennas because of limited space.

The two dish antennas that were removed, measuring 32m and 21m in diameter, were the oldest at the station.

Only one dish – the 32m antenna – was in place when the station opened. The 21m dish was added in 1988.

Mr Wong Mun Chong, 57, who often passes through the Bukit Timah area, was surprised that the satellite dishes had been removed. He first saw them in his younger days, and recalled thinking they looked “like something out of a sci-fi scene”.

“They reflect Singapore’s early ambitions in global communications, almost like relics of a time when technology had a more physical, monumental presence,” said Mr Wong, a product lead in the information and communication technology sector.

“It’s one of those things you assume will always be there until it isn’t. Their removal feels bittersweet. Change is inevitable, but we’re also losing a small yet meaningful piece of the landscape many of us grew up with.”

Satellite dishes receive signals beamed from satellites orbiting the earth, which in turn relay signals transmitted from ground stations. This enables services such as live telecasts.

The Rifle Range Road site was chosen for its distance from the airport and its low levels of radio-frequency interference.

The antenna station has played a role in several technological milestones. In 2010, it supported the 3D broadcast of the National Day Parade, processing, formatting and transmitting content via satellite to Singtel’s former mio TV platform.

Over the years, the dishes have also supported high-speed communication services, including remote newspaper printing, banking and financial data transfers, and transmission of images.