Ultra-high speed connectivity to cover more than half of S'pore by 2012 - Singapore's Online Community

**Voodoo Vince** · 11-12-2007, 11:25 PM

Ultra-high speed connectivity to cover more than half of S'pore by 2012
By Yvonne Cheong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 11 December 2007 2213 hrs

SINGAPORE: More than half of Singapore homes and offices are expected to have ultra-high speed broadband access by 2012.

That's a requirement of the bid for what is called Singapore's Next Generation National Broadband Network, which was thrown open on Tuesday.

Ultra-high speed of up to 1 gigabit per second - or 10 times faster than the maximum speed currently available on broadband.

That's the connectivity speed the Next Generation National Broadband Network will have and which the next generation will certainly appreciate.

Three out of four homes in Singapore already have broadband access, with an increasing number opting for wider bandwidth.

And, the benefits of this ultra-high speed network will pervade all areas of life - from online trading to e-learning.

"These may include close to real-life high-definition video conferencing, high-speed online transactions and graphics-based data visualisation. For example, the healthcare sector will be able to process and share high volume and complex medical data, including tele-radiology and MRI, to provide more timely and better medical care to patients," said Dr Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications & The Arts.

The government will provide grants of up to $750 million to the company or consortium which wins the bid to build the island-wide infrastructure.

The successful bidder will have to ensure that the ultra-high speed network will be available to more than 50% of homes and offices in Singapore by 2012.

It will also be held to the wholesale prices it sets out in its bid.

That's one of the parameters to ensure an open market for what would be a natural monopoly.

Potential bidders include SingTel, StarHub and M1.

M1 has partnered Hong Kong Broadband Network to bid as a consortium.

The Next Generation network will be available nationwide by 2015. - CNA/ir

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...316825/1/.html

**delight** · 11-12-2007, 11:33 PM

more competition...higher prices

**CaRe** · 13-12-2007, 10:04 AM

Hopefully lower prices for us.

**Voodoo Vince** · 13-12-2007, 02:38 PM

The price will go down. Usually it's up and up.

**Shi Yuen** · 13-12-2007, 03:21 PM

The problem is whether this only applies to local websites or overseas website also?
Cause now loading overseas websites during peak hours is as laggy as hell.
If the whatever thing by 2012 only applies to local websites/servers. Then i rather tell them not to spend so much money on it since its kinda useless giving so much bandwith to local servers/webpages when only a selected few sites are being used (Maple/HW Zone/Others).

**chikon** · 13-12-2007, 03:29 PM

i guess ultra high speed means optic fibre or is it something else? :o

**nicoleangp** · 13-12-2007, 05:25 PM

"National" Broadband Network, so I'm guessing it's only for local servers?

i might be wrong, but this "ultra-high speed connectivity" will not have much impact to me since majority of the content still comes from overseas servers.

**Milk_Mynk** · 13-12-2007, 05:42 PM

And what will we use this "ultra-high speed connectivity" for? >_> No downloading allowed in S'pore, rem?

**nicoleangp** · 13-12-2007, 05:50 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Milk_Mynk
	And what will we use this "ultra-high speed connectivity" for? >_> No downloading allowed in S'pore, rem?

i think u meant no downloading of "illegal content"??

**PassionSwirls** · 13-12-2007, 08:57 PM

sian. i think not much use.