| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
SINGAPORE: Asia is leading the way in the major expansion of broadband lines being seen around the world.
Industry analysts say broadband lines around the world expanded by 16.6 million lines in the last quarter alone.
The biggest growth was seen in Asian markets, with India leading the way at 13.4 per cent. Singapore is lagging behind at just 4.4 per cent.
But that may change as Singapore starts the world's first nationwide fibre optic cable installation.
Fibre optic cables for Singapore's new, ultra high-speed broadband network, which will be completed by 2012, will be installed into homes and offices from September.
The company contracted to do the installation, OpenNet, will start sending out letters to homeowners from July.
Residents have three weeks to respond and installation is free.
Those who want it installed at a later date will have to pay S$220 for apartments and S$450 for landed properties.
OpenNet will start installation in four clusters - Macpherson/Braddell, Jurong, Middle Road, and Geylang/Eunos.
It expects work to be completed in 56,000 homes and 1,000 office buildings within the first month, and 60 per cent of all homes and offices by 2010, and 95 per cent by 2012.
You can log on to www.opennet.com.sg to check when OpenNet is installing the cables in your home or office.
OpenNet says it expects to invest over S$100 million in total to complete the project, on top of the S$750 million funding from the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA).
OpenNet says the high bandwidth network will attract more companies to base their research and development (R&D) facilities in Singapore.
CEO of OpenNet, Tan Kah-Rhu, said: "Companies need ultra-high bandwidth to do their research. Let's say they want to project some of the developments onto the screen. The high definition TV will normally take up at least 8mbps of capacity – that is equivalent to serving 100 over phone lines simultaneously. So that is why for R&D or for any other high content applications, they need very high bandwidth."
OpenNet says some hospitals in Sydney are able to retrieve patients' records and X-rays all at one time using such high speed broadband. The company says existing technology in Singapore based on copper wires offers only up to 100 megabits per second.
OpenNet says the business potential is worth over billions of dollars.
- CNA/yt
|
