OPTICAL FIBRE CONNECTION TO HOUSEHOLDS (Installation)

Dr Wang Kai Yuen asked the Minister for Communications whether the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore plans to install an optical fibre connection to every household so as to provide enhanced telecommunications services, including digital telephone service and cable television and, if so, what is the timetable for this infrastructure improvement programme.

The Minister for Communications (Dr Yeo Ning Hong): Mr Speaker, Sir, Singapore Telecom has been replacing the existing copper wire network of telephone lines to households with optical fibre cables on an on-going basis. It is currently planning the laying of optical fibres to all the HDB housing estates. A pilot trial will be launched later this year beginning with Paya Lebar and Changi. The entire project will cost us more than $3,200 million when completed and it will take quite a number of years to get there.

Fibre optics and telecommunication technologies are changing and developing very rapidly all the time. It is important for us in Telecom to closely moni tor such developments such that as and when advanced telecommunication services become relevant to us in Singapore, especially when Singapore is developing as a major financial and information centre, Telecom will be able to move quickly to ensure that those services are available to the public.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether the cost of laying optical fibres will be passed on to the subscribers as I believe the capital cost of a optical fibre network will be significantly higher than the copper wire network.

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, the cost of all services eventually ends up with the users in one form or another. We have been investing very heavily in infrastructure in Telecom for many years already. Even though subscribers of telephone and telecommunication services have to pay for all these, because of productivity gains, we have succeeded in lowering rates instead of increasing them.