Singapore launches host of Smart Nation initiatives at imbX 2016

Dr Yaacob speaking at the the opening of the Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbX) 2016.

The Singapore government has announced a number of Infocomm Media 2025 (ICM2025) initiatives at CommunicAsia2016. Three initiatives – using robots in preschools, enhancing connectivity and developing tech professionals – were announced by Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim at the opening of the Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbX) 2016. Minister Yaacob also shared progress of the ICM2025 plan launched last year, and articulated his vision of how Singapore is positioned for the future.

Khoong discusses the role of robots in early childhood education at a media conference held after Minister Yaacob's speech.

Robots for early childhood education

According to the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the introduction of age- and developmentally-appropriate technologies can enhance preschoolers’ learning experience. Apart from developing their creativity, such technologies can mitigate concerns around tablets being a one-to-one activity, encouraging children to interact in a group setting and learning to work as a team.

Khoong Hock Yun, Assistant CE, IDA, said that robots have been found to have a good impact on learning and social interaction. He said lesson plans and best practices will be developed. The IDA is collaborating with SoftBank Telecom Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University Robotics Research Centre to explore the use of social robots in early childhood education. It is anticipated that social robots can complement traditional learning methods by adding new elements of imagination into playing and learning for preschoolers. Since April 2016, two social robots – Softbank's Pepper and NAO – have been piloted at My First Skool Jurong Point and MY World @ Bukit Panjang respectively, to complement preschool learning through collaborative play and interactive storytelling. The pilot will run till October 2016.

Demonstration for the Green Wi-Fi pilot at Sentosa on the
showfloor.

Enhanced connectivity

Wireless@SG has gone through a series of enhancements, such as the increase in speed and coverage, as well as the introduction of the SIM login feature* to enhance users’ experience. IDA is looking into a new development area, to explore the possibility of expanding the pervasiveness of Wireless@SG into outdoor spaces. Sentosa, currently hosting more than 200 hotspots outdoors, will see one such trial.

IDA will be partnering Aruba, M1, Skylab and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) in a new Green Wi-Fi Pilot @ Sentosa initiative. To be deployed along the Merlion Walk by early June, the pilot will explore using solar energy to power outdoor Wi-Fi in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.

Khoong shared that the Green Wi-Fi pilot at Sentosa, is part of an earlier agreement to create an integrated guest experience. "For an integrated guest experience you need to be connected," he said. "How to get this outdoor connectivity becomes a challenge for us."

The existing Wireless@SG – which will have 20,000 hotspots by 2018 – and was recently upgraded to 5Mbps from April this year, is indoor-based, Khoong noted. Creating an outdoor Wi-Fi network would traditionally require a power supply and cabled connectivity, which would be expensive and require time to install, he said. Using a solar-powered solution that does not require trenching will allow quicker deployment and cut costs by at least 50%.

"The key theme is partnering with industry, both locally and overseas companies," he said.

IDA and SDC will review the pilot results and consider deploying more outdoor Wireless@SG hotspots across Sentosa. IDA has made the Wireless@SG APIs available so SDC can pilot a trial on its mobile app to ensure seamless connection to Wireless@SG. With Wireless@SG APIs integrated into the MySentosa app, all that is required is the user's name and mobile number for the outdoor Wi-Fi to work, Khoong added.

Developing tech professionals

Launched in March 2016, the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) is an integrated approach to ICT skills acquisition and practitioner training, both in core ICT and sector-specific areas. The objective is to create better job placement outcomes. To coordinate the development of TeSA, a Governing Council has been set up and chairpersons of Sector Committees have been appointed, who will in turn look into appointing their members within the next few weeks. IDA will also be identifying specialised lead training providers for different sectors. Minister Yaacob announced the members of the Governing Council at the opening of the imbX.

At-a-glance orgchart for TeSA.

Gabriel Lim, CE-designate of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Co-Managing Director of IDA, will chair the Governing Council. Representing the ICT industry, members include Shirley Wong, Chairman of Singapore IT Federation; Howie Lau, President, Singapore Computer Society; and Alvin Ong, President, IT Management Association. To represent the hirers in the economy, the council will include Robert Yap Min Choy, Deputy Honorary Secretary, Singapore National Employers Federation.

As a whole-of-government initiative, TeSA will also see representation from Ng Cher Pong, CEO, Workforce Development Authority of Singapore; Augustin Lee, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Manpower; and Jacqueline Poh, CE-designate, Government Technology Agency.

The Governing Council will be further supported by hirers of tech manpower in sector committees, starting with financial services, healthcare and ICT. They will all work collaboratively with the aim of creating job placement outcomes for working professionals. The chairs and co-chairs of these three sector committees are also members of the Governing Council:

Co-Chairs for TeSA Finance: Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer of MAS and Susan Hwee, the Managing Director and Head of Group Technology and Operations, at UOB, the current bank chairing the Association of Banks in Singapore.

Chair for TeSA Healthcare: Dr Chong Yoke Sin, CEO of Integrated Health Information Systems or IHIS, the single and largest employer of ICT professionals in the public healthcare sector.

Co-Chairs for TeSA ICT: Khoong Hock Yun, Assistant CEO of IDA, and the Singapore IT Federation; as well as Lim Kang Song and Benjamin Mah, both leading the Talent and Capabilities Committee within the Singapore IT Federation.

Lim said, "While IMDA will be formally established later this year, work has already started for us, helping Singaporeans and industry stakeholders harness new opportunities as we implement ICM2025. New pilots such as the Green Wi-Fi initiative in Sentosa, and robots in preschools, as well as new initiatives such as TeSA, reflect how we are exploring new ways to collaborate with the industry to grow the ICM sector, build a strong talent pool, and connect our people and communities to the digital economy.”

Speaking at the opening of CommunicAsia2016, Lim noted that in preparing for the future, Singapore will be looking into new areas – both from the regulatory and industry development perspectives – to strengthen Singapore’s connectivity landscape, enhance users’ experience, and protect consumers’ interests. At a media conference following the opening ceremony Lim stressed that the announcements revolve around providing a better quality of life for Singaporeans, creating better opportunities for businesses, and connecting communities.

"At the end of the day Singapore succeeds when we're relevacnt, when we're connected, when we're into global flows," he said. "We are not going to do this by ourselves, we are doing this in partnership..partnerships with companies, partnerships with our international foreign counterparts."

New 4G quality of service standards

As more than half of the total mobile users in Singapore are using 4G** IDA announced today the new 4G Quality of Service (QoS) standards for compliance to ensure mobile phone users experience an acceptable level of service quality in Singapore. These standards are imposed on the mobile network operators (MNOs) who are providing 4G services.

The 4G quality of service (QoS) standards issued by IDA relate to the pervasiveness of mobile coverage in Singapore, which includes outdoor areas, tunnels and within building premises. For instance, IDA requires MNOs to cover 95% of outdoor areas from 1 July 2016, and will increase it to at least 99% from 1 July 2017. IDA will also impose similar standards on the fourth new MNO, if any, which will be provided with more lead-time to roll out its network to meet the standards. The new standards are similar to the 3G QoS standards that were enhanced in 2012, and IDA will concurrently impose both sets of QoS standards on the MNOs.

IDA also gathers feedback on mobile users’ quality of experience when using mobile broadband. The MyConnection SG app allows consumers to provide feedback on their user experience, with IDA using the feedback to engage the MNOs to enhance service delivery for all mobile users. Available on Android and iOS platforms, IDA encourages consumers to download the app, and complement IDA’s regulatory standards to ensure a high level of mobile service availability and usability in Singapore.

Lim said, “In this new economy, an important advancement lies in the convergence of ICM, and we are well placed to take advantage of this. The new IMDA will be catalysing the growth of the ICM sector, and focus on areas pertaining to ‘create’, ‘connectivity’, and ‘capabilities’. IMDA will sustain the spirit of creating, a critical attribute as Singapore continues to grow. We will look to build upon Singapore’s strong connectivity foundation through more industry collaborations. Finally, to foster a strong SG-core, IMDA will also focus on enhancing the capabilities of ICM workforce throughout their professional lifespan.”

The next phase of infrastructure building includes technology development and innovation in wireless networks, starting with the heterogeneous networks (HetNet) trials. The vision of HetNet is to bring about the best experience in fast and seamless connectivity, regardless of the type of wireless network available. Since the launch in April 2016, the trials have shown good results, as well as surfaced lessons for future deployments.

Out of 1,100 members of the public who responded to an IDA on-site survey, 86% were satisfied with the improvements in network performance based on the HetNet deployments. Speed tests conducted at the Jurong East MRT station showed a significant 65.67% improvements in average download speeds and 21.21% improvements in upload speeds. The coverage and speed improvements came from technology deployments such as small cells and intelligent subscriber routings.

ICM2025 aims to build a globally competitive infocomm and media ecosystem. The government announced the restructuring its infocomm and media regulators to form the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore and the Government Technology Agency, or IMDA and GovTech respectively last year. "The new IMDA will be in the position to take into account both infocomm and media considerations, and make a holistic decision for the benefit of the infocomm media sector as an integrated whole," Dr Yaacob said in a separate speech delivered the day before for the opening of the Ministerial Forum on ICT.

In that speech, Dr Yaacob also shared some of Singapore's Smart Nation initiatives:

Encouraging a culture of experimentation in collaboration with both international and local partners, to co-create solutions for the bettering of lives.

The complete switchover to digital TV by end-2017

Minimum standards for 4G mobile services, covering both outdoor and indoor 4G mobile service quality.

Singapore International Cyber Week event

Singapore International Cyber Week was launched at the Ministerial Forum on ICT. The inaugural Singapore International Cyber Week will be held in October, with one of the highlights being the launch of Singapore’s National Cybersecurity Strategy document by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

"Maintaining security in the cyberspace cannot be a single-nation effort since cyber threats do not respect sovereign boundaries. Every nation has a stake in cybersecurity, and there needs to be a rallying together of international cooperation, support, and due investments into this critical area. Singapore has been partnering like-minded nations to spur international collaboration on this front. Last year, the Cyber-Security Agency signed a number of bilateral memorandums of understanding with France, the UK, and India. We will support the regional Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT cooperation through the annual ASEAN CERT Incident Drill exercises," he said. 

Tropical data centre research

Dr Yaacob also disclosed the next phase of the Green Data Centre Programme at the event. Data centres will be tested to see if they can be operated in temperature and humidity levels that are double the current norm. "If successful, it would prove that data centres need not be run in tightly-controlled cooled environments. Not only will it expand the geographical limitation of siting data centres, it would also cut back on the existing energy requirements for the running of such centres. Efforts like these help Singapore to realise our Smart Nation vision, and we welcome more collaborations to test-bed interesting innovations here," he said.

The IDA, in partnership with industry and experts, will be running trials on the world’s first Tropical Data Centre (TDC). The proof-of-concept would aim to prove, among others, whether data centres can function optimally at temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius and ambient humidity up to or exceeding 90%.

The trial would test how data servers react under various “live” situations, such as peak surges or transferring of data, and in diverse conditions, such as with no temperature or humidity controls. The trial servers will run with simulated data.

If successful, the TDC could significantly reduce global energy consumption by data centres by allowing for higher operating temperatures and humidity levels. Data centres are currently cooled to between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and kept to within 50% to 60% relative ambient humidity for safety. The TDCs could reduce energy costs by up to 40%, and reduce carbon emissions.

This trial builds upon IDA’s Green Data Centre Innovation Hub initiative that is part of the Green Data Centre Programme (GDCP) launched in late 2014. The GDCP aims to boost overall data centre energy efficiency through innovation, pilot emerging technologies, and formulate new guidelines for sustainable computing. The GDCP also reaffirms Singapore’s commitment to protect the environment.

IDA is partnering Dell, ERS, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei, Intel, Keppel Data Centres, The Green Grid, and Nanyang Technological University for the trial. Partners are providing hardware, software and expertise for analysis. The proof-of-concept TDC will be set up in the third quarter of 2016 within a controlled test environment in a Keppel Data Centres facility.

Khoong Hock Yun, Assistant Chief Executive, IDA said, “With Singapore’s continued growth as a premium hub for data centres, we want to develop new technologies and standards that allow us to operate advanced data centres in the most energy-efficient way in a tropical climate. New ideas and approaches, such as raising either the ambient temperature or humidity, will be tested to see if these can greatly increase our energy efficiency, with insignificant impact on the critical data centre operations. To create new value in our Smart Nation journey, we need to embrace an attitude of experimentation, to be willing to develop new ideas together, and test the feasibility of progressive and positive technological advancements that has a good possibility to enhance our industry's competitiveness."

Interested?

The HetNet trials are still on-going in areas such as high-rise residential flats, train station platforms and buses. Users can take part in the trials and provide their feedback until 30 June 2016. Find out how to apply

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about show highlights

Hashtags: #CommunicAsia2016, #EnterpriseIT2016, #BroadcastAsia2016, #YaacobIbrahim

*The SIM login feature uses the SIM card as the credential for auto login (requires a one-time device setup) to Wireless@SG. SIM logins do not require registration and are supported by most mobile devices with a local SIM card.

**There are approximately 4.2 million mobile users who have subscribed to 4G services, as of February 2016.