Singapore has continued to grow both its mobile subscriber base (152% penetration by December 2011) as well as its value-added data services. The launch of 3G services has been particularly insightful. There was an obvious period of uncertainty surrounding the introduction of 3G. After launch in 2005 the take up rate was initially slow. Subsequently, however, there has been a strong upsurge in demand. No doubt this has been helped by the wider availability of more affordable, high feature handsets. By early 2012, there were more than 5.8 million 3G subscribers in a country where the total mobile market was around 7.8 million. In other words 3G subscribers represented a compelling 74% of the total subscriber base as 3G rapidly became the normal' mobile service in the country, according to a new Research and Markets report.
The report entitld "Singapore - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband" (17th Edition) provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and developments in telecommunications and digital media markets in Singapore. This report looks at Singapore, one of the outstanding telecommunications markets in Asia. At the same time as building its sophisticated telecoms infrastructure, Singapore has successfully promoted itself an IT hub and a place of excellence when it comes to all things to do with IT and telecommunications. The nation is determined to maintain its status and in the process it continues to embark on new and innovative telecom and IT projects.
And through its alliance with Bharti Airtel in India in has further market presence in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Africa. By the start of 2012 the SingTel group had 434 million mobile subscribers across its many markets.
The roll-out of the national broadband network seemed to be proceeding at a good pace through 2011. Nucleus Connect had started offering commercial services on the network in September 2010. Network coverage had reached the required 60% of the population by end-2010 and by halfway through 2011 was on track to provide 95% coverage by mid-2012. However, at the start of 2012 the IDA intervened in the building process following concerns at the slowing rate of rollout.
Highlights of the report include:
- Singapore's overall mobile telephone penetration passed the 150% mark in late 2011;
- The country's 3G market continues to boom: there were around 5.8 million 3G subscribers by May 2011; this meant that 74% of all mobile subscribers are 3G;
- The regulator has set new standards for quality of 3G services provided by the operators.
- Effectively 100% of Singapore's households now have some form of high speed broadband Internet access;
- The Singapore government's large scale project to build an island-wide broadband network called the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure (Next Gen NII) is proceeding;
- While the IDA had initially reported good progress on the roll-out of this network, in early 2012 it intervened in the construction process upon concerns with the slowing pace.
- The IDA maintains the network will deliver universal coverage by the 2013 target.
- Against the trend observed in most other markets around the world, fixed-line telephone services in Singapore remain remarkably resilient with what the IDA describes as more than 100% of households connected to the fixed network.
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/f56jdv/singapore_teleco
