Press Release
5 Aug OpenNet’s Nationwide Fibre Network Reaching the First Home in Singapore
16 June OpenNet to begin fibre
deployment to the homes from July 2009
2 Feb OpenNet Appoints Tan Kah-Rhu as CEO
2 Feb OpenNet Announces Board Line Up
OPENNET’S NATIONWIDE FIBRE NETWORK REACHING THE FIRST HOME IN SINGAPORE
Family at Cantonment Close first to receive installation of the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH)
Singapore, 5 August 2009 – Today, OpenNet, the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) passive infrastructure operator appointed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA Singapore), has commenced installation of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH). The Next Gen NBN is Singapore’s nation-wide ultra-high speed fibre network. It will be competitively priced offering ultra-high broadband speeds of 1Gbps and beyond to all physical addresses in Singapore, which includes homes, schools, government buildings, businesses and hospitals.
This significant occasion of first FTTH in Singapore was witnessed by Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, RADM(NS) Lui Tuck Yew. Besides visiting this first home, RADM(NS) Lui was also shown the deployment of the fibre from the main distribution frame (MDF) room at the ground level to the first termination point at the first home.
Minimal inconvenience to homeowners
2 This nationwide fibre deployment into homes will be a hassle-free experience. There will be minimal disturbance to homeowners when they allow OpenNet to install the FTTH. Authorised contractors from OpenNet will take not more than 4 hours on average to install the fibre inside the home on the day of installation. As far as possible, OpenNet’s contractors will try to use existing points of entry, existing conduits and surface trunking to minimise any drilling or hacking works for the installation of fibre
WAIVER of installation charges during the initial roll-out period for the first 15 metres of fibre within homes
3 Prior to installation, OpenNet will send letters to homeowners informing them of OpenNet’s initial offer of installation and the installation period for their neighbourhood. These letters will be sent out in tandem with OpenNet’s network deployment. Homeowners will have at least five weeks to respond to OpenNet. They can make an appointment via OpenNet’s hotline at 6563 4273 (656-FIBRE) or online at www.opennet.com.sg.
4. Homeowners who accept OpenNet’s initial offer will enjoy a waiver of the installation charges for the first 15 metres of fibre run (via surface trunking or existing usable conduits) within the home. The first 15 metres of fibre run to the termination point is measured from the main door (for high-rise premises) or gatepost (for landed premises). The termination point is usually located in the living room but homeowners can choose to have it sited at other locations within the house. For fibre installation beyond 15 metres, homeowners will be charged $33 (before GST) for every subsequent 5 metres block.
5 Booking of appointments will commence from mid August for the first batch of homes. Homeowners will be contacted by OpenNet when their area is ready for fibre deployment. Homeowners who refuse the initial offer will have to pay $220/connection for a residential high-rise or $450/connection for a residential landed property if they subsequently request for fibre installation.
Progress of OpenNet’s fibre deployment
6. OpenNet’s current fibre deployment to homes and commercial buildings is on schedule. As of today, around 32,000 homes and 500 non-residential buildings across Singapore have been covered and are ready for in-premise fibre installation. Mrs. Tan Kah-Rhu, OpenNet’s CEO said, “OpenNet is pleased to share that the deployment is on track as we begin to roll out FTTH. Homeowners are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the initial offer and make an appointment with OpenNet to have their homes fibred up.”
7. Interested homeowners can check whether their area is ready for home fibre installation via the Coverage Check portal (rollout.opennet.com.sg). Once the area is ready, homeowners are strongly encouraged to visit www.opennet.com.sg or call 6563 4273 (656-FIBRE) to make an appointment to take advantage of the waiver.
About OpenNet Pte Ltd
OpenNet was established in 2008, and is a joint venture between four partners – Axia NetMedia (Axia), Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and SP Telecommunications (SPT). The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), has awarded OpenNet the contract to build, manage and operate a nationwide all-fibre platform for Singapore’s Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN). OpenNet will provide a competitive, yet neutral, level playing field environment for all downstream operators, enabling the delivery of rich content and ultra-high speeds of 1Gbps and above per end user.
| For media queries, please contact
Corporate and Marketing Communication OpenNet Ptd Ltd Email: press@opennet.com.sg |
OpenNet to begin fibre deployment to the homes from July 2009
Initial installation offer of up to the first 15 metres within the home owner’s premise will be free
16 JUNE, 2009 – OpenNet Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Axia NetMedia, Singapore Telecommunications, Singapore Press Holdings and SP Telecommunications, has commenced the world’ first nationwide all-fibre platform rollout, a key foundation for Singapore’s Next Generation National Broadband Network. The Next Gen NBN is one of the key programmes under the Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) blueprint to turn Singapore into a sophisticated city-state with seamless connectivity by 2015.
Rollout Progress
OpenNet’s all-fibre platform will see a 5 per cent completion progress by September 2009. Almost 2,000 buildings will be covered with the highest clusters being in Macpherson/Braddell area, Jurong, Middle Road/Golden Mile and Geylang/Eunos area. This converts to about 56,000 homes and 1,000 non-residential premises.
By the end of next year, 60 per cent of homes and offices can already expect to have access to this new and pervasive, all-fibre network. This includes an estimated 350 schools in total. By 2012, 95 per cent of homes and offices nationwide will be connected to Singapore’s ultra high-speed Next Gen NBN.
Copper as a medium, which is commonly used in existing infrastructure, will eventually face scalability issues in the future, especially at bandwidth of 100Mbps and beyond. Optical fibre is the most effective medium to meet future Gigabit bandwidth requirements.
Fibre to the Home (FTTH) will become a new utility outlet in providing ultra-high bandwidth for triple play services of voice, data and video to the home in the near future. Commercial, educational and other industry sectors will also benefit from the Fibre to the Building/Premise outlet as it is expected that their bandwidth will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years.
OpenNet has carefully considered the selection of its nine Central Offices (COs) with the widest geographical spread to meet the key objective of a high level of broadband coverage within the shortest deployment timeframe. Co-location space is also provided at each CO to allow for effective open access to OpenNet customers.
Building Owners
For building developers/owners who would like to assist in the progression of FTTH, they will need to allow OpenNet access to their building’s Main Distributor Frame (MDF) rooms/ Telecommunication Equipment Room (TER) and telecoms risers to facilitate the installation of optical fibre cables and accessories. For cases where building owners refuse entry, OpenNet will not be able to establish any fibre network to that building.
OpenNet will send out letters to notify building developers/owners to allow OpenNet to access the MDF Rooms/TER and risers. There will be no cost involved for building developers/owners, for the installation of optical cable in the MDF rooms and riser.
OpenNet and its contractors will work with building developers/owners and MCs of developments to minimise any disturbance during installation phase. As an example, for condominiums, the contractors will arrange for installers to work between 9am – 5pm, after residents have gone to work and children have gone to school.
Homeowners
As the plan progresses, reasonable attempts will also be made via letters and other means to reach homeowners for sign up. The set up and installation to the premises will entail up to two installers per visit, and will take less than four hours per installation. OpenNet’s contractors will consult with the homeowner or office tenant to determine a suitable location to mount the fibre box in the premise. Homeowners can rest assure that one fibre termination point will be enough for a home networking set up with multiple users. Whenever possible, the contractors will leverage on existing points of ingress to install the fibre optical cable into homesand offices wherever possible.
Although the initial installation offering is free, subsequent requests for installation from those who refuse the initial offer will have to pay $220/connection for a residential high-rise or $450/connection for a residential landed property if they subsequently request for fibre installation.
Today, OpenNet is launching its Coverage Check portal (www.opennet.com.sg), an essential tool for any interested homeowners to check the availability of fibre in their area using a mere postal code. The portal also enables homeowners to sign up for fibre installation or register for alert when the fibre is reaching their buildings. Further information required by the public can be directed to ask@opennet.com.sg. Building owners can direct any query relating to building installation through email at info@opennet.com.sg.
About OpenNet Pte Ltd
OpenNet was established in 2008, and is a joint venture between four partners – Axia NetMedia (Axia), Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and SP Telecommunications (SPT). The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), has awarded OpenNet the contract to build, manage and operate a nationwide all-fibre platform for Singapore’s Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN). Being the foundation of the Next Gen NBN, OpenNet will provide a competitive, yet neutral, level playing field environment for all downstream operators, enabling the delivery of rich content and ultra-high speed of 1Gbps and above per end user.
For Media Enquiries, please kindly contact, Ting Mei Lin at 93383409 or media@opennet.com.sg
OpenNet Appoints Tan Kah-Rhu as CEO
SINGAPORE – 2 February 2009 – OpenNet Pte Ltd, which was selected to build the passive infrastructure for Singapore’s Ultra High Speed Broadband Network by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (“IDA”), announced that it has appointed Mrs. Tan Kah-Rhu as Chief Executive Officer starting 1 Feb 2009. Mrs. Tan will spearhead this nation-wide project to build and operate Singapore’s highly-anticipated optical fiber infrastructure, capable of providing ultra high-speed Internet connection – up to one gigabit per second, or ten times faster than today’s technologies.
Mrs. Tan was Vice-President (Access and Transmission Engineering) at Singapore Telecommunications (“SingTel”) before her current appointment. She managed a 500 strong team in both Singapore and Australia, with active involvement in telecommunications access and transmission facilities, including fibre roll-out to buildings.
Mrs. Tan has held various senior positions in the industry before including a stint as CEO of Singapore Aeradio from 1996 to 2001. In that role, she diversified Aeradio’s business and grew its revenue by several folds. She then held several VP portfolios at SingTel, including heading the planning and operation of the global submarine cable for both SingTel and Optus.
“I am privileged to be leading the team that will realize the first phase of Singapore’s vision of providing seamless connectivity under the Next Generation National Broadband Network”, shares a confident Mrs. Tan.
Mrs. Tan will report to the board of directors, chaired by Mr Tan Gee Paw.
Chairman Mr. Tan Gee Paw welcomed Mrs Tan on board, “We wish Kah-Rhu all the best in her new role. As an experienced communications executive, she brings to OpenNet the necessary hands-on experience to see to a successful rollout of this ultra-fast broadband network for Singapore.”
For media queries, please contact:
Corporate and Marketing Communication
OpenNet Pte Ltd
Email: press@opennet.com.sg
OpenNet Pte Ltd was selected by IDA to be the Network Company to design, build and operate the passive infrastructure of Singapore’s Next Generation National Broadband Network that will be capable of delivering speeds of up to 1 Gbps and beyond. It is a consortium made up of Singapore Telecommunications and Axia NetMedia Corporation, each having a 30 per cent stake in the consortium; Singapore Press Holdings which has a 25 per cent stake; as well as SP Telecommunications which owns the remaining 15 per cent.
The Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) is part of IDA’s Intelligent Nation 2015 or iN2015 blueprint to turn Singapore into a sophisticated city with seamless connectivity. The Next Gen NBN will entrench Singapore’s Infocomm hub status and open doors to new economic opportunities, business growth and social vibrancy for the country. Next Gen NBN will be capable of ultra high speeds of up to 1 Gbps or more.
For more information, visit www.ida.gov.sg.
OpenNet Announces Board Line Up
SINGAPORE – 2 February 2009 -
OpenNet Pte Ltd, which was selected to build the passive infrastructure for Singapore’s Ultra High Speed Broadband Network by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (“IDA”), announced its board of directors.
The board of directors of OpenNet comprises:
Mr. Tan Gee Paw, Chairman and Independent Director. Mr. Tan is Chairman of the Public Utilities Board (PUB), the national water agency of Singapore. Previous appointments held by Mr Tan include Principal of Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment. Mr Tan was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his significant contributions to improve the environment.
Mr. Robert Chew, Independent Director. Mr. Chew is a retired Executive Partner at Accenture Ltd. He is Chairman of the National IT Standards Committee, Vice-Chairman of SATA, and a board member of Alexandra Health and Touch Community Services.
Mr. Philip Eng Heng Nee, Independent Director. Mr. Eng is Deputy Chairman at MCL Land Ltd. He is also the Chairman of the Accounting Standards Council (ASC) Committee for Commercial Entities and Singapore’s Ambassador to Greece.
Mr. Alan Chan Heng Loon. Mr. Chan is CEO of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Mr Chan was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, and before that, the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (MCIT). Mr Chan is also a director of Singapore Power Ltd and the Chairman of its subsidiaries, SP PowerAssets Ltd and PowerGas Ltd.
Mr. Mark Chong Chin Kok. Mr. Chong is Executive Vice President of Networks, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. His main responsibility is to optimize and enhance the fixed, wireless and international networks of SingTel Singapore, as well as implement new network technologies.
Mr. Ong Boon Hwee. Mr Ong is the COO of Singapore Power Ltd. Prior to joining Singapore Power Ltd; Mr Ong was part of Temasek Holding’s senior management since 2002. He was the Managing Director for Strategic Projects and Strategic Relations, and was concurrently the CEO of Temasek Management Services Pte Ltd.
Mr. Arthur Price. Mr. Price is Chairman and CEO of Axia NetMedia Corporation. He also serves on the board of the Sunterra Group of Companies. He was also a past director of Husky Oil Ltd. and IPSCO Inc.. Mr. Price was recently awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal in recognition of his outstanding service to the people and province of Alberta.
The board of directors has set its sights on providing stewardship to OpenNet in meeting the obligations of its winning proposal. Chairman Mr. Tan is clearly upbeat about the benefits that a super-fast Internet connection will bring Singapore. “This will cut across a broad spectrum of industries, such as the government, healthcare, education and financial sectors. The public will experience new levels of products and services being offered. Many opportunities will be created for business and economic growth,” envisions Mr. Tan.
For media queries, please contact:
Corporate and Marketing Communication
OpenNet Pte Ltd
Email: press@opennet.com.sg
OpenNet Pte Ltd was selected by IDA to be the Network Company to design, build and operate the passive infrastructure of Singapore’s Next Generation National Broadband Network that will be capable of delivering speeds of up to 1 Gbps and beyond. It is a consortium made up of Singapore Telecommunications and Axia NetMedia Corporation, each having a 30 per cent stake in the consortium; Singapore Press Holdings which has a 25 per cent stake; as well as SP Telecommunications which owns the remaining 15 per cent.
The Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) is part of IDA’s Intelligent Nation 2015 or iN2015 blueprint to turn Singapore into a sophisticated city with seamless connectivity. The Next Gen NBN will entrench Singapore’s Infocomm hub status and open doors to new economic opportunities, business growth and social vibrancy for the country. Next Gen NBN will be capable of ultra high speeds of up to 1 Gbps or more.
For more information, visit www.ida.gov.sg.
