Series on Next Gen NBN adoption

Check out the latest “must-have” in a new home - fibre broadband. As property developers seek to differentiate their condominiums from the competition, some have begun to bundle complimentary fibre broadband alongside luxury fittings, jacuzzis, infinity pools and other deluxe features to entice buyers. Among them are CityLife@Tampines and Heron Bay.

CityLife@Tampines

EC buyers today are from a relatively high income group and are IT-savvy, with a growing need to stay connected to the Internet at all times, said the CityLife@Tampines spokesman.

Positioned as Singapore’s first luxury hotel-style executive condominium (EC), the 514-unit EC at Tampines comes with complimentary StarHub fibre broadband access for all units and StarHub's WiFi service in the common areas. “It is observed that EC buyers today are from a relatively high income group and are IT-savvy. Therefore, they are likely to have a sophisticated taste in homes and home lifestyles as well as a growing need to stay connected to the Internet at all times, even at common facilities such as the swimming pool and function rooms,” said a spokesman for CityLife@Tampines.

Recognising this trend, the developer decided to include connectivity as part of the EC’s value proposition, allowing home owners to enjoy the many advantages of high-speed 100Mbps fibre broadband such as faster upload and download speeds, high-speed online gaming, and quick access to information and resources for education and work.

Under the arrangement with StarHub, every CityLife@Tampines homeowner will get a complimentary 12-month subscription to StarHub's 100 Mbps broadband plan. They are also offered an option to upgrade their 12-month package by signing up for a 24-month package, for which they will then get to watch selected StarHub TV channels for free. Home buyers can also sign up for StarHub’s Smart Home Automation package at a special price.

Going forward, as complimentary fibre broadband service and free WiFi at common areas become increasingly common in residential properties, it is also likely that the expectations of residents will grow. Property developers will then have to up the ante in order to stand out from the competition. “Developers may then start to offer other value-added services such as IPTV and connected homes,” noted the CityLife@Tampines spokesman. “We see opportunities in such offerings, as long as they make commercial sense for both the service provider and us. Ultimately, home owners will get to benefit when such offerings become bundled as they will then have a more integrated fibre-connected package.”

In the near future, such free fibre broadband bundles may also be extended to non-residential properties as well. As the CityLife@Tampines spokesman noted, non-residential property tenants are often contractually bound to occupy units for a period of time and therefore, it would be commercially logical for fibre broadband service providers to reach out to this market. Furthermore, the fibre broadband demands of tenants are typically higher than most households, and broadband access is increasingly becoming more of a need rather than a perk for everyday operations. “With these, we see a rising potential in bundling Next Gen NBN for non-residential properties,” said the CityLife@Tampines spokesman.

Heron Bay

Hydrocavitated water swimming pool? Check. European-design kitchen appliances? Check. Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN)? Check.

Offering complimentary fibre broadband service is one of the ways to differentiate Heron Bay from our competitors, as well as to provide home buyers with a desirable lifestyle with hi-tech connectivity, said the Heron Bay spokesman.

At the Heron Bay Executive Condominium in Upper Serangoon View, top-of-the-line fittings and amenities are being complemented by state-of-the-art digital facilities in every home, with all 394 units bundled with a complimentary fibre broadband service from M1 for the first year of occupancy.

“We believe offering complimentary fibre broadband service is one of the ways to differentiate Heron Bay from our competitors, as well as to provide home buyers with a desirable lifestyle with hi-tech connectivity that would allow residents to enjoy a world of conveniences and enjoyments even in the comforts of home,” said a Heron Bay spokesman. “We also think that fibre broadband service is a feature that will appeal to the home buyers today, who spend a significant amount of time on the Internet for personal, work and entertainment purposes.”

“This is the right direction going forward for EC and private property developers as Singapore gears up to be an intelligent nation and global city powered by infocomm,” he said, adding that the developer will definitely consider bundling the Next Gen NBN for their future projects. “We will need to assess the demands and norms of Next Gen NBN for such projects and customise packages accordingly to ensure that our customers get the best in terms of value, practicality and functionality,” the spokesman said.

The potential for the Next Gen NBN also extends beyond the residential market.  “We see the potential in bundling Next Gen NBN for non-residential properties since businesses and organisations will likely have a greater demand for fibre broadband services to run their day-to-day activities effectively, as compared to families who spend a large portion of their time outside of home in work, school and leisure activities,” he said. “As such, it would make sense to do so for commercial, industrial and institutional properties if it is already becoming common for residential properties.”