Free wireless connectivity in public areas through Wireless@SG, coupled with the proliferation of tablets and smart phones, has helped nurture an "always connected" culture among Singaporeans.

The Wireless@SG broadband programme, developed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) as part of its Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure initiative, was launched in 2006 to catalyse the wireless broadband market in Singapore by promoting the wireless broadband lifestyle among Singaporeans.

Coupled with the proliferation of tablets and smart phones, the free wireless connectivity in public areas through Wireless@SG has achieved this goal, successfully nurturing an “always connected” culture among Singaporeans. At the end of 2012, Wireless@SG had 2.26 million subscribers, using the network for an average of 31 hours each per month in 2012.

Never resting on its laurels, IDA has been continually improving the Wireless @SG network. The access speed was doubled to 1 Mbps in September 2009. In Feb 2010, Seamless and Secure Access (SSA) was introduced to simplify the log-in process, giving users the “always-on” function in a hassle-free manner, and enhancing the usage of applications such as email and Voice over IP (VoIP).

The next phase of the Wireless@SG programme will be rolled out from April 2013 onwards. The capacity and speed of the network will be expanded, with access speeds of up to 2 Mbps. Currently, Wireless@SG users access their emails, Facebook accounts and search engines via the network. With the greater speeds, the user experience could be enhanced when accessing apps and services such as standard definition video streaming and VoIP. This service will remain free until March 2017.

By April next year, the network will even be able to recognise registered users through the SIM cards in their mobile devices, so users need not enter their login information each time they access the network. M1, SingTel and StarHub will all be Wireless@SG operators in the next phase of the Wireless@SG programme, allowing mobile subscribers to more seamlessly shift from 3G/4G networks to Wireless@SG.

In addition, Wi-Fi service provider Y5Zone Singapore Pte Ltd will also come on board as a Wireless@SG operator. Y5Zone Singapore is part of the Y5Zone International Group whose core business is in operating public Wi-Fi networks.

All the operators will also be offering paid premium services, with faster access speeds.

Besides individuals, there has also been an increase in the number of enterprises adopting and subscribing to Wireless@SG for their own operations as well as providing innovative services and free Wi-Fi access to general public since 2010. This has been an encouraging development as it indicates an increasingly sustainable business model with operators and enterprises entering into contractual agreements that enable the operators to offer revenue-generating services to enterprises, which in turn can offer free Wi-Fi access to their customers.

To better serve these enterprises, innovative services such as targeted advertising, office communication suite and Software as a Service (SaaS) are in the offing. For example, enterprises can collaborate with operators to send promotional messages to the operators’ subscribers. Users will be able to opt out of such campaigns.

Office communication suite offers integrated voice and messaging communications, photo and video sharing, in-application advertising, cloud-based storage, as well as “follow me” presence-based capability that lets users share information and connect with friends and family while on the go. SaaS will have a variety of cloud applications such as inventory online to cater to a business’s operational needs.