Come 19 November, Mr Chan Yeng Kit will be returning to the Administrative Service after three years as Chief Executive Officer of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. He talks to iN.SG about his own infocomm journey.

Mr Chan: Our iN2015 masterplan is about laying the groundwork for the future.

As CEO of IDA, what has been your guiding vision for Singapore infocomm?

The world of the future will be a technologically-driven one. In this new Digital Age, nations and societies that are able to harness the power of infocomm will be those that progress and prosper. Our vision at IDA is to harness this potential, to transform Singapore into an intelligent nation and a global city powered by infocomm.

What are some of the challenges that IDA had to address in order to turn this vision into reality?

We had to constantly look ahead at the possibilities and opportunities, and ensure that Singapore has the necessary infocomm foundation to take advantage of these opportunities. That’s why we have focused a lot of our energies on infocomm manpower development, and enhancing our infocomm infrastructure. Initiatives like free wireless broadband access and ultra high-speed broadband help propel our infocomm infrastructure into the next league, and will become key enablers of our economy.

Our next challenge is to optimise the use of the infrastructure to deliver greater economic and social benefits. We want to help our infocomm industry remain robust and vibrant. We will also be working closely with businesses and end users to develop new and innovative applications. This will involve helping to equip businesses with the tools and capabilities, and our people with the right skill sets, to embrace and exploit infocomm.

As of end-September, more than 550,000 subscribers have signed up for Internet access from over 6,000 hotspots in public areas.

What is IDA’s goal for Singapore’s Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure (NGNII)?

The NGNII will lay the foundation for Singapore’s digital future and enable us to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly globalised and connected world. Our aim, under iN2015, is to develop a next-gen national broadband network that can deliver ultra-high symmetric speeds of 1 Gbps or more. If you ask me if we need a 1Gbps link today, I’d say probably not yet. But infrastructure takes years to put in place. If you look at the bandwidth growth in the last 15-20 years, the trajectory is quite clear. The growth has been exponential. In 3-5 years, many of us will expect gigabit-level speeds as the norm. If we start work on a next-gen network today, we would be ready by then.

We have also catalysed the development of a pervasive wireless broadband network under the Wireless@SG initiative. As of end-September, more than 550,000 subscribers have signed up for Internet access from over 6,000 hotspots in public areas, exceeding our original target of 5,000 hotspots. This represents the first phase of our wireless broadband development. As next-generation wireless technologies stabilise, we will begin working on Phase 2 of Wireless@SG.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (centre), Mr Chan (left), and Mr Stephen Lim, then chairman of the Singapore IT Federation (right), with winners of the 2006 National Infocomm Awards.

Singapore’s infocomm industry has expanded steadily under your watch and achieved record growth to reach S$45.4 billion in revenues last year. What were some of the key initiatives that were in place to sustain this growth?

The credit really goes to the infocomm industry itself. Our companies – both local and MNCs based here – have been remarkable in their strengths and agility, and their ability to tap opportunities and markets.

IDA’s role has been more akin to that of a “cheer-leader” and “match-maker,” to help ensure Singapore infocomm has a strong voice, and help catalyse greater use of infocomm.

We have been aggressively promoting Singapore’s infocomm capabilities overseas, establishing contacts and economic links with foreign governments, overseas IT associations, companies and partners, and acting as an interface between our infocomm local enterprises and these organisations.
These efforts have borne fruit - the strong performance in 2006 was driven by healthy growth in our export market, which accounted for some S$29 billion compared to S$22 billion in 2005.

To build on this momentum, we launched the Infocomm Enterprise Programme in January to help enhance the capabilities of our local infocomm companies in the implementation and delivery of large-scale, sector-wide projects. We’ve also launched a unified brand – Infocomm Singapore – to promote “made by Singapore” infocomm products and solutions.

Given the global competition for skilled manpower, what is IDA’s strategy to ensure that we have an adequate pool of infocomm talent in Singapore?

This year, a record 633 applicants vied for the 39 National Infocomm Scholarships.

The manpower challenge has to be tackled on several fronts. Interest in an infocomm career is being cultivated among the young. For example, through Infocomm Clubs in schools, an annual National Infocomm Competition, and a reality game show called iWhiz. We have also been quite successful in attracting top talent to the infocomm industry through the National Infocomm Scholarships. This year, we had a record 633 applicants with 39 students eventually selected.

For practicing infocomm professionals, we will continue supporting skills development in critical emerging technologies, through training incentive schemes such as CITREP (Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme). By tackling the challenges on these different fronts, we have seen infocomm manpower grow by an impressive 7 per cent in 2006, bringing the number of infocomm professionals in Singapore to 120,000.

How do you see infocomm transforming the various economic sectors in order to sustain Singapore’s competitive advantage?

We have seen sectors such as the Government, healthcare, education and tourism adopting infocomm in new and innovative ways. One recent example is the Digital Concierge project, which provides location-based services for the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors. Another example is the FutureSchools@Singapore initiative, which aims to revolutionalise teaching and learning in our schools.

In the healthcare sector, an Integrated Clinic Management System was launched last year to help general practitioners adopt infocomm technologies. This will pave the way for GPs to plug into the national healthcare network and bring Singapore another step closer to realising the vision of a nationwide electronic medical records system.

I think Singapore has done well. In the last five years, Singapore has consistently ranked among the top three in the World Economic Forum’s Global IT Report. It is important that we continue to focus on the e-readiness of our businesses, to give them the foundation, the tools and the ability to use infocomm effectively.

How do we ensure that no one is left behind in the digital future?

It is important to emphasise that infocomm and the benefits of an infocomm-enabled lifestyle are for everyone, including the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged.

Today, over 88 per cent of households with school-going children have computers, and programmes like the PC Reuse Scheme and NEU PC have been put in place to help boost access for needy families. We have set up CitizenConnect centres to help the less infocomm-savvy to take advantage of the government’s online services, and an Infocomm Assessibility Centre will be fully operational from next year to provide infocomm training and facilitate employment opportunities to help those with disabilities.

We have to ensure that the benefits of infocomm are enjoyed by all Singaporeans, and we will work closely with the People, Public and Private sectors to shape Singapore's digital future.

What is your view of the future of the infocomm sector in Singapore?

I am very optimistic that Singapore’s infocomm sector will continue to be a solid performer. The sector has good leaders, robust capabilities and a strong foundation. And in a world where infocomm is increasingly embedded and critical to the operations of every other sector – be it services or manufacturing – the opportunities and prospects for infocomm are bright.

If you are to pick one technology that will change the world, what would it be… and why…?

I believe it will not be from the traditional disciplines; but rather, a technology at the convergence of three of the fastest-developing disciplines today: Info-, Bio- and Nano-technology. While developments in infotech, biotech and nanotech have been impressive in themselves, it is the convergence of these disciplines that hold the promise of a truly revolutionary and transformational technology – perhaps still in the labs today – that will change the world we live in, and our lives.

If there was one thing that you will remember about IDA, it would be….

The people, without a doubt. I have been blessed with a great team at IDA, and a great bunch of folks from the infocomm industry. From my senior leadership team, to my colleagues at IDA HQ and our sites, right down to the chatty and motherly Mdm Ho (who works as the janitor on my floor), I shall be leaving IDA with many memories I will cherish for life.