The Singapore government has recently announced a comprehensive digital blueprint to guide the implementation of emerging technologies, including generative AI, autonomous systems, and immersive multi-party interactions. The Digital Connectivity Blueprint sets out key priorities for physical infrastructure, such as broadband and mobile networks, as well as digital utilities, for example, e-payments and identity verification, over the next 10 years, to embrace such emerging technologies in a responsible, ethical, but innovative manner to foster economic growth.
Implementing the roadmap will require significant resources: building green data centers, one of the largest efforts within the blueprint, is expected to require SGD 10 to 12 billion (USD 7.5 to 9 billion) in investments and will be funded mostly by the private sector. Other plans within the blueprint include building 10Gbps nationwide connectivity over the next five years by rolling out Wi-Fi 6E and 5G standalone networks, and doubling subsea cable landings, which will help boost digital connectivity between Singapore, Southeast Asia, and other regions. Other initiatives include making Singapore quantum safe within the next 10 years, so as to protect encrypted information and software from potential attacks. To do so, a pilot quantum-safe network dubbed the National Quantum Safe Network Plus (NQSN+) will be put in place for commercial customers.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) also announced a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch a joint innovation center located within IMDA’s own innovation hub Pixel. The center aims to act as a launchpad for businesses and startups in Southeast Asia by offering specialized labs and usability-testing facilities, the latest technologies, project-based consultation with experts from IMDA and AWS, and connections to cloud vendor partners based in the US.
(Sources: ZDNet; Data&StorageAsean)
