S'pore govt unveils plans to boost infocomm and media industry

Yahoo Newsroom

8 March 2013 at 5:29 am

Consumers can expect faster Wi-Fi access from Wireless@SG from April onwards.

Faster free public Wi-Fi network access islandwide.

Digital free-to-air television channels by the end of the year.

Over S$182 million in budget more for locally-produced programmes on culture and heritage.

These were among the wide-ranging plans to boost the info comm and media infrastructure announced by Minister for Communications and Information (MCI) Yaacob Ibrahim in Parliament on Friday.

Wi-Fi speeds on Wireless@SG will be bumped on from 1Mbps to a maximum 2Mbps from next month.

"IDA will enhance our national wireless infrastructure by expanding the capacity and speed of Wireless@SG," said the Minister during the debate on the recently unveiled Budget.

Aside from faster speeds, the login process for Wireless@SG will also be simplified from next April with users only needing to log-in once instead of repeated sign-ins currently. This will be possible because

"This will complement our mobile networks and allow subscribers to more seamlessly shift from 3G/4G networks to Wireless@SG," said Dr Yaacob.

Turning to the media industry, free-to-air channels 5, 8, Suria and Vasantham will begin broadcasting in hi-definition by the end of the year. Other channels like Octo would do so only in 2016.

By April, consumer labels to identify digital TV sets will be available on televisions and separate set-top boxes.

The Media Development Authority (MDA) will ensure low income and the elderly will also benefit from this.

Dr Yaacob also said the MCI is still reviewing their media convergence plan and are looking at these areas: content regulation, encouraging local content, copyrights and licensing framework.

Regarding local content, Dr Yaacob said it would devote another S$182 million to increase the quality and quantity of public service broadcast (PSB) programmes over the next four years to focus on local heritage and culture.

This amount is on top of a S$630 million budget that had been earmarked for public service programmes earlier in July 2012, spread across five years till 2016.

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