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TELECOMMUNICATION

Singapore offers a world-class telecommunications infrastructure, and an attractive and competitive market environment for the growth of infocomm companies.
Singapore...
· IT Market growing at 30% over the last 15 years.
· Aims to double annual IT revenue to S$40 billion by 2005
· Investing S$150 million to jumpstart the interactive broadband multimedia industry
· Emphasis on Quality of Service (QoS) on international links for performance assurance.
· Extensive connectivity ensures the highest bandwidth per customer in the Asia-Pacific markets for sites hosted in Singapore.
· Is backed by the world's first national broadband ecosystem since 1997. Called Singapore ONE, it provides 99% accessibility from homes, offices schools and public places, with compelling services in education, business, government, transactions, video-on-demand, telephony, and fast internet.
· Is helping the industry build new capabilities through Infocomm Local Industry Upgrading Programme and competency centres.
· Offers good tax incentives, financial grants and schemes.

• Singapore has one of the highest mobile ownership -Total no. of mobile phone users - 76.9% (The Straits Times dated 31.12.02).
• Total no. of pager subscribers: 1,158,800 (1 in 3).
• Almost each household has telephone.Residential telephone lines: 1,867,500 (581 per 1,000 resident population)
• One of the highest number of households have internet access.
• All homes are linked with fibre optic cables, which enable households in Singapore to benefit from a range of information technology (IT) services, including cable TV with a choice of over 30 channels. It achieves the aim of connecting the whole of Singapore in one open network, known as Singapore ONE (One Network for Everyone).
• Internet subscriber base: 826,000 (nearly 1 in 4 persons as at Dec 99)

The ideal E-Commerce Hub

Singapore has the requisite IT, telecommunications, logistics and financial environments to serve e-commerce businesses looking to tap the enormous potential of the regional market.

· Electronic Transactions Act 1998, gives legal recognition to electronic signatures and certainty to the formation and validity of electronic contracts
· Computer Misuse Act gives greater protection to critical computer systems.
· Strong infrastructure, together with a legal and regulatory framework support companies in search of a hub for their international EC activities. These companies include Citibank Commerce, FedEx, Netlife, NECX and Sterling Commerce
· $9 million fund helps local enterprises embark on EC
· 10% tax concession on offshore income derived through e-commerce through the Cyber Trader (ACT) Scheme.
· Established companies extend their presence onto the Internet. Overseas Union Bank, Fraser Securities and Philip Securities begin online banking, stock trading and mobile commerce.

Taking a lead in e-governance

The Singapore government is an exemplary example of an early adopter of technology, having launched its Civil Service Computerisation Programme in 1981. Today, it is recognised as one of the most computerised in the world. Its achievements include
· 30,000 public servants are active users of the Singapore Government Electronic Mail System.
· Government Internet averages over 3 million hits per quarter, while the government Intranet attracts some 50 million hits a year.
· Ranked number two for addressing the Year 2000 problem in the World Competitiveness Yearbook 1999.

A hotbed for talent

Recognising that people are its most valuable resource, Singapore has embarked on several initiatives to prime its workforce to be knowledge workers in the new economy
Singapore ....
· Re-skill non-infocomm talent, attract overseas talent and put in place infrastructure and content to grow a regional e-Learning hub.
· A pool of 93,000 infocomm professionals. This is expected to grow to 250,000 by the year 2010.
· An open immigration policy for the relocation of skilled professionals to the country.


An Infocomm way of life

Our island has been a broadband ecosystem since 1997. The government has committed $25 million to accelerate the adoption of an online culture and e-lifestyle and improve Internet accessibility for all.
Singapore...
· Growing locally relevant content in Chinese, Malay and Tamil to bridge the language barrier.
· 42% of our homes are already hooked up to the Internet.
· About 90% of Singapore companies are computerised
· Over 40% of Singaporeans have mobile phones.
· One PC for every 2 students, and 30% of school curriculum, will be multimedia-based by the year 2002, under the Education IT Masterplan.


MANY AWARDS
Singapore
· 1999 Intelligent City of the Year (World Teleport Association)
· World's second most dominant information economy after US by 2002 (IDC's Information Society Index 1999)
· World's second most competitive country after US for sixth consecutive year (World Competitiveness Report 2000)
· World's third for EC development (World Competitiveness Yearbook 1999)
· Most developed example of integrated service delivery in the world (US Intergovernmental Advisory Board, 1999)
· Best workforce in the world (Business Environment Risk Intelligence 1998)
· Singapore Government ranked first for overall quality of its political leadership and effectiveness of economic policy (Political and Economic Risk Consultancy,2000)
· No.1 city for business in the Asia-Pacific (Fortune Magazine, 1999)

IDA
· Winner of the Information Technology Excellence Award 2000 (World Information Technology and Services Alliance)
· Best Regulator (1999 Telecom Asia readers' poll)

Where market forces rule

In a marketplace where the frontiers of technology, capital, knowledge, talent, and business are constantly being pushed beyond national boundaries, Singapore thinks global and acts fast.

As part of a nation-wide Infocomm 21 initiative, Singapore:
· Liberalised the telecommunications market in April 2000, two years ahead of schedule.
· Lifted foreign equity limits for public telecommunication service licensees to reduce barriers of entry
· As of May 2000, there are five new facilities-based operators and 24 new services-based operators in the market. Companies include MCI Worldcom, FLAG Telecom and AT&T Worldwide.
· There are also 20 new Internet access service providers and 20 operators offering international simple resale