IDA rules that all buildings must have access to NGNBN

Singapore’s telecoms regulator the InfoComm Development Authority (IDA) has announced that all buildings in the city-state – including condominiums and private apartments – must ensure they provide access to the government’s fibre- Next Generation National Broadband Network (NGNBN). The announcement is good news for people hoping to benefit from the faster and cheaper broadband access promised by the NGNBN. The watchdog says that owners of buildings who do not comply may be fined up to SGD10,000 (USD76,800) or face imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both, as per the rules laid down in the Telecommunications Act and relevant Code of Practices. The IDA’s statement comes in the wake of a report earlier this month that 90% of management committees for condos and private apartment blocks had apparently blocked the offer of free cable laying for ‘aesthetic reasons’.