The significant new telecoms infrastructure project in SIngapore will provide integration and connectivity for thousands of sensors being rolled out – by various government agencies – to capture and collect data for various applications around urban mobility, sustainability, and improving sensing and situational awareness. These include surveillance cameras to capture errant litterbugs as well as the monitoring of floods via sensors installed in drains.
The move comes as a surprise since the Singapore government had previously relied on connectivity provided by local telecoms providers.
A tender has been called for contractors to design and roll out the IP network, which will also have the ability to transmit mobile signals, according to a report by local newspaper The Straits Times, citing tender documents.
The report said that ICT regulator Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) will identify and certify the telecommunication companies responsible for operating the infrastructure on behalf of the government. No details were provided on how much the project was estimated to cost.
“As Singapore becomes a smart nation, we see new areas and opportunities for the government to do more to assist, grow and build up a common infrastructure to support the deployment of smart nation applications,” an IDA spokesperson said in the report. “It is critical for the government to own key components of the IP core to ensure that such a platform is secure and trusted to safeguard potential sensitive information used across multiple government agencies.”
