19k S’pore commercial buildings hooked up to next-gen broadband

Over 19,000 commercial buildings and offices since December 2011 have been hooked up to Singapore’s Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN), a government program to wire up the entire country with a fibre optics network that can provide Internet speeds of up to 1Gbps or more.

Buildings that are connected to the network includes: Suntec Office Towers, HarbourFront Centre, Shaw House and Shaw Centre. The announcement was made by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) in a press release issued last week.

This initiative could eventually be a boon to tech startups, serving as a catalyst for research and development as well as innovation in the interactive digital media and creative industries.

To help occupants and the public identify which commercial buildings are connected to the Next Gen NBN, IDA will roll out the Fibre Ready! Mark for non-residential buildings.

Said IDA’s CEO Ronnie Tay: “Today, we have 12 service providers offering more than 40 fibre connection packages to cater for both residential and enterprise needs. However, not all enterprises are aware if their premises are fibre ready. With the Fibre Ready! Mark for buildings which have been connected to the Next Gen NBN, enterprises located in those buildings can be kept informed and therefore prepare their premises to be powered by Next Gen NBN.”

Residents too have been signing up for the program. IDA hopes that by mid-2012, 95 percent of homes and offices would be connected to the network.

Has your company been help or hindered in some way by the Next Gen NBN? Share your story with us!