Pyramid Research believes that the main effect of the iN2015 project in Singapore will be a considerable increase of broadband subscriptions in the city-state, compounded by a shift in the access technologies deployed, according to its latest Analyst Insight.
iN2015 is
Singapore
's new public-private project that will be put in place by 2012, capable of delivering broadband speeds up to 1 Gbps, and offer pervasive connectivity around the country.
The infrastructure will also be IPv6 compliant and provide Wi-Fi access for major portions the city by the end of 2008 and the entire city covered by 2015.
'We expect a dramatic increase in both FTTP and WiMAX subscriptions,' said Marc Einstein, author of the Insight.
Pyramid also expects more forceful downward pressure to be exerted on business and residential broadband ARPUs.
They also found that new operators could enter the mobile space using the carrier-neutral network and WiMAX enabled devices.
'We don't think this will happen in the medium term,' continued Einstein. 'The iN2015 project has slated WiMAX to be initially used for fixed and nomadic broadband access.'
Pyramid believes that the project will have several indirect effects on the market as well, as
Singapore
's established telecom operators respond to the change in the broadband landscape.
'We expect to see more generous bundling packages and usage offerings from integrated operators,' concluded Einstein.
The government meanwhile reported that it has completed testing a free wireless Internet service in time for the annual meeting of the boards of governors of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which took place last week.
Singapore
's government is taking advantage of the IMF and World Bank meetings to showcase the country's advanced technology infrastructure, including the use of 3G mobile networks, reports said.
The Wi-Fi trial covers part of downtown Singapore around the Suntec Singapore International Conference and ExhibitionCenter, where the IMF and World Bank meetings will be held, and includes five nearby shopping malls, the IDA said. Users will be able to surf the Internet for free in these areas at speeds of 512Kbps, it said, asking for Singaporeans to test the network and offer their feedback on the service. -- Wireless News