Singapore - ICT growth

Broadband main driver behind Singapore’s infocomm growth

Registering a healthy growth of 13.8 per cent, revenue generated by Singapore’s infocomm sector grew to S$51.68 billion in 2007, up from S$45.4 billion the previous year.

This is according to Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, who attributed the sector’s growth, in part, to the arrival of broadband, which he described as “a powerful catalyst for innovation and demand”.

The minister also noted that export revenue accounted for 65 per cent of total industry infocomm revenue, with the top three destinations for Singapore infocomm exports being North Asia (including China), the Americas and Europe.

Beefing up the infocomm infrastructure

The Singapore Government has focused its initiatives to strengthen the infocomm network in the country. According to the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Singapore is rolling out a Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure to meet the growing demands of high-speed connectivity and mobility. It is a part of its 10-year infocomm masterplan ‘Intelligent Nation 2015’ (iN2015).

One of the ongoing initiatives, Wireless@SG, the wireless component of this infrastructure, has already garnered some 850,000 subscribers in Singapore who use wireless connectivity at more than 7,200 hotspots.

To enhance Wireless@SG, new initiatives such as a Virtual Private Network service and a trial on Seamless and Secure Access (SSA) have been introduced by the three Wireless@SG operators, iCELL Network (www.icellwireless.net), QMax Communications (www.qmax.com.sg) and Singapore Telecommunications (www.singtel.com).

The Wireless@SG Virtual Private Network service, which is jointly provided
by SecureAge and the three Wireless@SG operators, is available to all Wireless@SG users for free until December 2009.

The second initiative, SSA, provides users with an alternative method of accessing Wireless@SG--enabling them to connect to the network automatically whenever they are in a Wireless@SG hotspot. In such cases, there is no need to key in any user credentials. Still, data transmitted over the network is automatically secured. Working with Microsoft and Nokia, the Wireless@SG operators are offering the SSA trial to 300 existing Wireless@SG subscribers who own devices that can support SSA. Trial locations include Suntec City Mall, Vivo City and Wisma Atria.

Next Gen NBN

According to IDA, an entirely new wired network – the Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) - is also being planned to bring pervasive ultra high speed broadband connectivity to all homes, offices and institutions by 2015. The IDA is reportedly evaluating the formal bids at this time from two consortia to build the passive infrastructure of the Open Access and pervasive Next Gen NBN for Singapore.

IDA has also reported that plans are afoot for a Grid Market Hub which will offer on-demand computing services from the National Grid. The Grid Market Hub will offer infocomm services on a pay-per-use basis.

Besides end users, the Next Gen NBN will also benefit sectors such as digital media and entertainment, the government agency has said. Furthermore, the government has also identified the development and distribution of Connected Games as another area to grow the Digital Media and Entertainment industry.