A new automatic login feature for Singapore's biggest free public Wi-Fi network kicks off today and is expected to allow Singapore consumers to more easily access the network.
By 2015, the number of hotspots for Wireless@SG is also expected to double to 10,000. By 2015, this is expected to reach 20,000.
The new SIM card-based login feature, dubbed EAP-SIM, offers users an "always on" experience by allowing them to automatically connect to any Wireless@SG hotspot using a supported device with a local SIM card.
This means new and existing users of Wireless@SG no longer need to sign up for the service or enter any credentials to access the internet at any Wireless@SG hotspot.
The new enhancement is part of ongoing efforts by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) to improve the user experience of Wireless@SG, a free public Wi-Fi service that offers internet access speeds of up to 2Mbps.
IDA said bistros in Singapore will also get to benefit from the service. Starting June 2014, visitors can register for a free account at any Wireless@SG hotspot and receive their login details through SMS messages sent to their foreign mobile numbers.
Alternatively, visitors can buy a local prepaid SIM card from M1 and StarHub to log on to Wireless@SG via the new SIM-based login feature.
"These enhancements are timely. The pervasive cellular network and presence of Wi-Fi hotspots have paved the way for service providers to roll out location-based and context-driven services to consumers and businesses," said Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information.