Singapore to invest S$100M to bring 10G NBN to all local homes

Following an announcement in Singapore’s 2024 budget to upgrade Singapore’s nationwide broadband network to speeds of up to 10Gbps by 2030, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has unveiled plans to invest up to S$100 million to upgrade the Nationwide Broadband Network (NBN).

The upgraded NBN will form the backbone of future applications and innovation such as artificial intelligence, higher resolution streaming content, smart home solutions, virtual reality applications and builds on the infrastructure laid out under the first generation NBN in 2008. 

According to the IMDA, the NBN runs to all Singaporean homes, with more than 85% of residential homes on at least 1Gbps services. The upgrade of the NBN will take place from mid-2024 to 2026 and will provide more symmetric end-to-end 10Gbps connectivity. 

Telco support & Future expectations

Currently, the NBN runs to all Singapore homes, with more than 85% of residential homes on at least 1Gbps Internet plans. More than half a million households are expected to sign up and benefit from higher speeds of up to 10Gbps by 2028.

But infrastructure is only one part of the equation. Telco support is needed to help deliver the 10G access to households as part of their internet plans. 

According to Ng Tian Chong, CEO, Singtel Singapore:

We are supportive of IMDA’s efforts to make this technology more accessible to households to maintain Singapore’s competitiveness and unlock new opportunities for our people and will be reviewing its proposal. We will work closely with IMDA and other key stakeholders, including equipment manufacturers and application developers, to encourage more households to adopt 10Gbps broadband services.

Both M1 and StarHub spokespeople welcomed the government’s support to upgrade the Nationwide Broadband Network to enhance network connectivity for customers. The StarHub spokesperson added that the telco looked forward to delivering next-generation entertainment experiences, like the streaming of ultra-high-definition and 8K video content with minimal buffering. StarHub also added that the upgraded network will enable remote workers and learners to experience smoother video conferencing, faster file sharing, and seamless access to cloud-based productivity tools to enhance productivity from home.

Telcos My Republic, StarHub and Singtel are already offering 10Gbps internet plans and more recently, with Wi-Fi 7 routers. But these existing offerings aren’t under the Government’s purview. Rather, they fall under the telco’s own infrastructure enhancements. But much like MVNO telcos upended the pricing for mobile data plans, we can hope to see changes in the pricing of 10Gbps plans in time to come.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.