Magazines Archives - 2008 January

S’pore sets aside S$750m to develop Next Gen broadband network
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IN line with Singapore’s 10-year iN2015 (Intelligent Nation 2015) plan to develop an intelligent and global nation, driven by Infocomm (information communication), the Singapore Infocomm
Development Authority (IDA) has announced its request-for-proposals (RFPs), inviting network designers and operators to be a part of the development process of the nation’s open access
broadband infrastructure, The Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN).

At a media briefing last month, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Singapore’s Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, stated: “The Next Gen NBN will offer pervasive and competitively
priced ultra high-speed broadband connectivity to business users at the workplace, as well as Singaporeans at home, schools and learning institutions and other premises.”

Once selected, a Network Company (NetCo) will be required to design, develop and operate the network, while an Operating Company (OpCo) will manage the set-up of hardware installations
for switches and routers, and maintain the flow of traffic on the network. OpCo will then offer the broadband access to Retail Service Providers (RSPs), which will in turn provide the NBN service to
end-users.

Emphasising the importance of the role of RSPs, Lee added: “This will create a more vibrant and competitive broadband market. As a policy, we have therefore decided to adopt separation
between the different levels of the Next Gen NBN to achieve effective open access ... If necessary, the government is also prepared to consider legislation to achieve such effective open access for
downstream operators in the next-generation broadband market.”

In addition, the Singapore government has prepared a grant of up to S$750 million (US$523 million) and RFPs are due to close on 25 March 2008, with the winning bid to be awarded in the third quarter of this year.

Although the network has been targeted for nationwide access by 2015, consumers can start looking forward to additional services such as high-definition video conferencing and telemedicine,
among others, from as early as 2010.