A nationwide network upgrade in Singapore might bring the promised tenfold increase in home internet speeds compared to the current. The government has set aside S$100 million (over US$700,000) for this goal.

Josephine Teo, minister of communications and information, said on Wednesday that the upgrade is necessary because data-intensive technologies like smart-home apps, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) would need faster speeds.

Improving Internet Speeds in Singapore

To enable household broadband services to provide connection speeds of up to 10Gbps, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will invest S$100 million to improve the back-end network and user equipment until 2026, The Straits Times reported.

The Singaporean government invested $1 billion in 2010 to build the commercially operational Nationwide Broadband Network, and this upgrade is the next logical stage in its development. 

In 2013, the world's first fully wired broadband network - one that can sustain speeds of 10Gbps -reached almost 95% of Singaporean households and businesses.

Teo emphasized the need for Singapore to be prepared for the arrival of a 10Gbps connection, even if the specific applications of this technology are yet unclear. 

"Digital infrastructure takes time to build up and doesn't happen overnight. Many of the ways digital developments will change the way we work and live are not entirely known in advance," she noted.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced an upgrade to the Nationwide Broadband Network at Singapore's 2024 Budget Announcement last Friday, and the announcement of an investment of S$100 million follows suit.

In 2022, as part of its efforts to strengthen its digital capacity and maintain competitiveness, Singapore unveiled plans for a 10Gbps residential broadband network in the Digital Connectivity Blueprint.

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Benefiting Singaporean Households

Approximately 500,000 homes will be able to take advantage of higher-speed services after they enroll with local carriers by 2028. Most homes in Singapore now have broadband plans with download speeds of at least 1Gbps.

Internet service providers may restrict certain customers to prevent them from using the network excessively, which could slow down the actual speeds each household experiences.

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