The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has mandated that new homes should be prewired with optical fiber.
The new Code of Practice for Info-communication Facilities in Buildings (COPIF) code requires that each new home is installed with an optical fiber termination point. Each living room and bedroom should be provided with Category 6 cabling capable of carrying data speeds of more than 1 Gbps.
It also called for the provision of rent-free Mobile Deployment Space (MDS) and new buildings and developments for enhanced mobile coverage in both existing and new developments. The MDS requirements will vary depending on the size of the developments or the mobile coverage area of the developments.
Some flexibility may be accorded to developers and owners of buildings and developments in meeting the MDS requirements. Moreover, developers and owners of buildings and developments will only need to provide the MDS upon request from the mobile operators, as the provision of the space may not be necessary in cases where there is already adequate mobile coverage within the developments.
A key clarification made in COPIF 2013 is the use of space and facilities to serve beyond the boundaries of a development, a scenario provided for in the Telecommunications Act. The space and facilities provided by the developer or owner of a building/development under COPIF 2013 are primarily intended for telecommunication licensees to deploy installation, plant and systems to serve the telecommunication needs of the development itself.
Leong Keng Thai, IDA deputy chief executive and director-general (Telecoms & Post), said that the “Changes in this COPIF are to ensure that homes are built for future infocomm needs brought about by developments such as the nationwide deployment of the Next Gen NBN, the increasing mobile penetration rate, and the increasing pervasiveness of smartphones, and other mobile broadband-enabled devices.”
These new amendments will take effect from 1 May 2013. The COPIF was introduced in 2000 to ensure that developers and owners of buildings and developments provide adequate space and facilities for the deployment and operation of installation, plant and systems which are used for providing info-communication services to the buildings.