21-2-2024 (SINGAPORE) Singapore is taking significant steps towards delivering household Internet speeds that are ten times faster than the current standard. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has allocated up to $100 million for a national network upgrade in preparation for the demands of data-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and smart-home applications. Minister for Communications and Information, Josephine Teo, announced this investment on February 21.
The IMDA’s investment will focus on upgrading the back-end network and user equipment until 2026, enabling residential broadband services to provide connection speeds of up to 10Gbps. This move represents the next phase in Singapore’s Nationwide Broadband Network, which was commercially launched in 2010 with a $1 billion investment from the Singapore Government. The network, already capable of supporting speeds of 10Gbps, achieved coverage of over 95 percent of homes and businesses in Singapore in 2013, setting a global benchmark.
While the specific use cases for 10Gbps connectivity speeds are yet unknown, Minister Teo emphasized the importance of ensuring Singapore’s readiness for future technologies. She highlighted the need to build digital infrastructure ahead of time, as the full extent of how digital advancements will reshape work and daily life cannot be predicted in advance.
The decision to invest $100 million follows Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement of plans to upgrade the Nationwide Broadband Network in Singapore’s 2024 Budget statement on February 16.
These faster speeds are expected to benefit over half a million households in Singapore, with telecommunications companies (telcos) offering the higher-speed services by 2028. Currently, broadband plans with speeds of at least 1Gbps are the norm for approximately 85 percent of households in the city-state. However, actual speeds can vary based on factors such as the number of users in an area and network management practices implemented by Internet service providers.
According to internet metrics company Ookla, the average download and upload speeds in Singapore currently hover around 300Mbps.
The vision for a 10Gbps home broadband network was initially outlined in the Digital Connectivity Blueprint in 2022, which aimed to strengthen Singapore’s digital capabilities to maintain its competitiveness. Additionally, plans are underway to double subsea cable landings in Singapore over the next decade to boost digital trade.
The decision to upgrade the network reflects Singapore’s forward-thinking approach, reminiscent of the introduction of the Nationwide Broadband Network in 2008. At that time, feedback suggested that 1Gbps speeds were unnecessary, and 30Mbps speeds were deemed satisfactory, according to Minister Teo.
Regarding pricing models and speed tiers, an IMDA spokesperson stated that they would be left to the market. Telcos will be required to provide transparent information about both the theoretical and typical speeds users can expect. While the IMDA will ensure that telcos deliver on their promises of typical speeds, it will not enforce regulations mandating specific speed requirements.
