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SINGAPORE : Broadband is set to become not only faster but also cheaper.
The long-awaited high-speed nationwide broadband network started commercial operations on Tuesday.
Some telcos have already announced cheaper and faster offerings to attract both home and business users.
You could soon watch high-quality videos off streaming websites like YouTube on television, or have a six-way video conference from your home.
These are among features made possible by a slew of new products unveiled by SingTel on Tuesday.
The telco is among five initial retail service providers leveraging on the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN) to deliver new content and services.
The products will be available by the end of September.
Allen Lew, CEO Singapore, SingTel, said: "It is not just about broadband Internet access...but it is also about providing value add beyond that. So this is all part of the overall SingTel strategy to transform ourselves from just being a pure telco into becoming a multimedia solutions provider."
The new services are part of SingTel's overall plan to increase its revenue streams and capture more customers across multiple platforms.
Other than SingTel, M1, StarHub, LGA and SuperInternet have also signed up with Nucleus Connect.
Nucleus Connect, the wholly-owned subsidiary of telco StarHub, is the Operating Company in charge of building and operating the active infrastructure for the NGNBN.
And competition is set to be fierce.
SingTel is offering a 200mbps broadband service at S$95.90 per month. That is more than 10 times faster than its current 15mbps service for home users, via ADSL.
M1 is even more aggressive. It is offering a 1Gbps service at a monthly fee of S$399. It is offering free three-month trials which the public can sign up for from Wednesday.
StarHub said it will be offering more details of upcoming plans on Thursday.
Nucleus Connect expects more service providers to sign up when the network coverage across the island improves.
David Storrie, CEO, Nucleus Connect, said: "We will be seeing over the next period of time increased paraphernalia going out, increased marketing, billings at the bottom of buildings to generate interest.
"What we need to get into is people on the street understanding what the next generation network is all about and what this fibre is going to do for the future."
Currently, about 40 per cent of residences in Singapore are covered, with about half of these with points leading up to their homes.
The physical network, built currently by OpenNet, is expected to cover 60 per cent of Singapore by the end of the year. This is expected to go up to 95 per cent by mid-2012. - CNA/ms
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