Free Wi-Fi is set to go faster with a doubling of Wireless@SG access speeds to 1 Mbps from September. It will also be easier to use with the introduction of Seamless and Secure Access (SSA) and, best of all, remain free until March 2013. These were some of the latest developments announced by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) at the recent imbX 2009.

Wireless@SG - the wireless component of Singapore’s Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure - was launched in December 2006 with the aim of extending broadband access beyond homes, schools and offices to public places. There are now close to 7,500 hotspots covering Singapore, offering free wireless access in public areas such as the Changi International Airport, Central Business District, downtown shopping belts like Orchard Road and residential town centres.

Access speeds for Wireless@SG will be increased to 1Mbps from September.

About 1.3 million users have subscribed to the Wireless@SG service, with over 428,000 of them chalking up a monthly average of more than three hours each on the network, using it to work, check e-mails, blog and surf the Internet.

Going forward, the next phase of Wireless@SG will focus on enhancing user experience and driving the adoption of innovative consumer and enterprise services. Consumers and enterprises can look forward to higher access speeds, easier logins, easier access to applications and services, as well as a wide range of services in the areas of advertising, location-based applications, cashless payment and facility monitoring.

The Wireless@SG operators  iCELL Network, Qala Singapore and Singapore Telecommunications will introduce SSA from January 2010 to enable users to automatically logon securely to the network. This will significantly enhance the Wireless@SG user experience, especially for those who are using mobile devices like Wi-Fi capable handsets to access the network. SSA will also pave the way for the deployment and usage of innovative services such as voice over IP, instant messaging and real-time feeds.

To make it easy for users to access Wireless@SG applications and services, a Wireless@SG dashboard will be launched in January 2010. This is a mobile portal that will allow users to conveniently and instantly download and access services and to be notified of the latest Wireless@SG updates. A hotspot finder will also be available to allow users to search and locate nearest Wireless@SG hotspots.

In another enhancement, a centralised location-based engine is being created with the integration of all the Access Point information in a common database. This will allow users to enjoy location-based services in all Wireless@SG hotspots regardless of their operators. Third-party application developers will be able to make use of information in the database to develop location-based services and applications

This sets the stage for the emergence of new and innovative services over the Wireless@SG network. For example, digital signages can be extended to more shopping malls and town centers to broadcast advertisements. Retail merchants will be able to broadcast promotions and sales to specific target customers and ride on Wireless@SG to enable cashless payment at hawker centers, events, roadshows and mobile kiosks.