Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) and a consortium comprising Cisco Systems and Axia-NetMedia has submitted bid proposals to construct an island-wide Next Generation National Broadband Network (NGNBN) for Singapore. The group is one of four groups thought to be interested in winning the contract, the other prominent bidders being domestic operator StarHub and the country’s third largest mobile operator MobileOne Asia (M1). The government did not disclose details of the anticipated build-out and operating costs for the new NGNBN, which would provide for the delivery of high quality broadband services. If selected, SingTel would serve as the Operating Company (OpCo).
Commenting on the bid, Mr Mark Chong Chin Kok, SingTel’s Executive Vice President of Networks, said: ‘We fully support the Government’s iN2015 blueprint to transform Singapore into one of the world’s most connected [countries] with pervasive ultra-fast fibre-based broadband network access. We believe that our proposal will enable the flourishing of a vibrant community of retail service providers in Singapore and consumers can look forward to feature-rich applications and services at home and work – at speeds of up to 1Gbps – that will enrich their lives and allow them to be more productive. The way we live, work and play will not be the same going forward’.