WIRELESS@SG

WIRELESS@SG

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(Status of development): **

18.

Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in the light of iN2015 (Intelligent Nation 2015) (a) what is the status of current development and bugbears faced in wireless@SG; (b)what is the timeline for the rest of the development; and (c) if there are plans for future expansion.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Miss Penny Low asked about the status of the Wireless@SG development and the plans for future expansion. Wireless@SG is the wireless component of the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure as envisioned under the Intelligent Nation 2015 infocomm masterplan.

Current progress

I am pleased to update the House that we are well on track with the deployment of Wireless@SG. Since the launch in December 2006, the network coverage has expanded from 900 to approximately 2,800 hotspots. By September this year, Wireless@SG will provide 5,000 hotspots offering free 512 kbps Internet access in public areas throughout Singapore including Orchard Road, the Central Business District as well as in HDB town centres and community clubs.

About 400,000 subscribers had signed up for Wireless@SG with the three operators although only 82,716 (or 23%) of these are active users. To promote usage, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, or IDA, will be embarking on a Wireless@SG Education and Awareness Programme to help users make better use of wireless broadband via their existing WiFi devices. As the network deployment continues to gather pace, we can expect the number of active users to increase.

Bugbears faced in deployment

On bugbears, IDA has been working with the three operators as well as other relevant stakeholders, to ensure a smooth roll-out. Nevertheless, there have been a few glitches, but this is to be expected in a deployment of such scale. IDA and the operators are ironing out these glitches as they arise.

One issue relates to site access. Some building owners have been reluctant to grant the operators access to, or use of building facilities and facades as they are concerned about the security, safety, business and aesthetical concerns of installing transmitters and receivers.

Another issue has to do with rental costs. Some commercial property owners have demanded rents from Wireless@SG operators that are similar to the rents levied on mobile cellular operators for the use of the building façade and other facilities to mount their equipment. Such rents drive up network deployment costs for the Wireless@SG

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operators. These issues may result in spotty coverage, reducing the pervasiveness of Wireless@SG.

Fortunately, we do not think that these issues are insurmountable. Where appropriate, IDA has been working with the operators to engage commercial building owners on the benefits of offering Wireless@SG to their customers. As usage becomes more and more pervasive, it would make good business sense for commercial building owners to have their buildings covered by Wireless@SG. Take shopping centres, for example. As they depend on customer traffic, such building owners may find it advantageous to leverage on Wireless@SG services to draw in new customers who are mobile and Internet-savvy, as well as retain their existing customers. IDA will also continue to work with Wireless@SG operators to offer compelling service offerings that would be of benefit to both businesses and consumers.

Future expansion plans

With rapid advancements in wireless technology, it is clear that Wireless@SG will continue to evolve. I would like to assure the House that IDA continues to monitor the wireless broadband technologies and standards closely. In particular, IDA is looking at different emerging high-speed technologies, such as WiMAX and High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), as well as the availability of end user devices that could capitalise on these networks.

Our plans for future expansion programme will be guided by the same principles that underpin the Wireless@SG initiative, which is to achieve greater pervasiveness, higher speed, better quality, and affordable wireless broadband access to support mobility. We will also be guided by the experiences that we have gained from this first phase of the initiative. IDA will begin planning for Phase 2 of Wireless@SG from 2008, when the direction for emerging next-generation wireless broadband technologies is clearer.

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