SamKnows invites Singaporeans to join the National Internet Measurement Infrastructure project

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), responsible for regulating the country’s telecoms, has contracted SamKnows, a broadband measurement performance provider, to measure consumer Internet performance.

Source: SamKnows. A SamKnows dashboard.

By taking part in the National Internet Measurement Infrastructure (NIMI) project, Singaporeans can join thousands of other consumers in putting their ISPs to the test and ensuring they are getting the quality of experience that they are expecting. 

As part of a drive to expand the project, SamKnows is now offering free hardware devices called ‘Whiteboxes’ to new volunteers, allowing users to measure speeds of up to 1Gbps. Volunteers are asked to download the free SamKnows mobile app to receive accurate real-time data and analytics via the SamKnows dashboard. 

Singapore is one of 40 countries currently using the SamKnows measurement platform. 

Interested?

Apply for a free Whitebox 

Singapore's IDA creates snapshot of home computer usage in Singapore for 2014

The Infocomm Development Authority's (IDA’s)  Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Households 2014 states that more seniors in Singapore are using smartphones, computers and the Internet. The survey showed that in 2014, about 74% of Singapore residents had used the computer in the three months before the survey, with the biggest jump for senior citizens aged 50 years and above.

Between 2012 and 2014, there was a significant increase of 14 and 11 percentage-points in computer usage by senior citizens aged 50 to 59 and above 60 respectively. This brought the total percentage of computer usage among senior citizens to 63% for those aged 50 to 59 years and 27% for those aged older.

In addition, the survey showed that Internet usage rate by senior citizens rose to 75% for those in their fifties, and 31% for those 60 and older, a gain of 24% and 15% compared to 2012 respectively. In fact, in 2014, more than three-quarters of the younger and one-third of the older senior citizen segments said they had used a smartphone to access the Internet in the past three months. This represented an increase of 30% and 19% percentage-points respectively against 2012.

Household Internet and broadband access also continued to increase in 2014, and households are increasingly using Internet-enabled mobile phones for Internet access. Home Internet and broadband access rates rose to 88% and 87.5% respectively in 2014. For households with school-going children, Internet and broadband access rates were 98% and 97% respectively in 2014. Fibre and wireless broadband (3G, 4G) continued to replace ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) and cable as the Internet connection of choice at home, with 62% of resident households using fibre broadband in 2014 (up from 25% in 2012), and 56% using wireless broadband in 2014 (38% in 2012).

Another trend is the rise of online shopping among Singapore residents. Online shoppers were mainly aged from 15 to 49 years, with credit card payment being the most common among those aged 25 and above. The majority of online shoppers spent at least S$100 on their online purchases. The three most popular items purchased online were apparel, travel products and tickets for entertainment events.

On the cyber security front, the survey found that more than eight in 10 installed antivirus software and security updates on computer used to access the Internet at home while adoption rates of antivirus software installation on smartphones were comparatively lower, at about three in 10.

The top three primary Internet activities among Singapore residents were related to communication, leisure activities and getting information, with the topmost online activity on mobile equipment being the use of social networks.

Steve Leonard, IDA’s Executive Deputy Chairman, commented, “We are encouraged to see residents becoming more tech-savvy and connected, particularly the silver generation. This is useful to help the industry explore new opportunities to serve our citizens better and help build Singapore into a Smart Nation.”

It should be noted that the different surveys are not precisely apples-to-apples as more Singapore residents born in recent years enter their fifties and are classed as seniors in each subsequent survey. Those born in 1963 and 1964 would not have been classed as senior citizens in 2012. Likewise, those born in 1961 and 1962 were not considered senior citizens until after 2010. It is possible that the results for the 50 to 59 year-old segment reflect technology-savviness in 50- and 51 year-olds, rather than seniors in general deciding to learn about smartphones and the Internet. The results for those aged 60 and above however remain significant.

Interested?

Download the survey (PDF)
Download the complete infographic

Note: All images from the IDA infographic.

*The annual survey has been conducted for more than 20 years, and its objective is to assess the extent of infocomm adoption in Singapore resident households and residents. This latest survey’s data was collected from about 3,500 households and about 3,500 residents via face-to-face interviews.

1 A smartphone has more sophisticated functions than a feature phone. Examples of such functions are: i) able to open and read documents (e.g. PDFs, Office documents) and ii) able to add or install applications on the phone. These two categories are mutually exclusive, i.e. a mobile phone can only be categorised as a feature phone or a smartphone but not both.

2 Households with access to the Internet via both broadband and narrowband had been categorised as those with broadband Internet access. Some households had more than one type of broadband connection at home.

3 Mobile equipment is defined as portable equipment excluding laptops or notebooks.

Singtel explains mobile performance

Singtel has shared key considerations of connectivity, speed and coverage to add insights to the Infocomm Development Authority's pilot MyConnection SG study.

"Based on the online feedback to this latest study, we note that many subscribers regard factors such as network coverage, call stability, customer service and data connectivity to be more significant than speed to their user experience. What is uppermost is their ability to enjoy wide mobile coverage with consistent speed. Such customer feedback and findings are important to Singtel as we identify areas where we can continue to improve our services," Singtel concluded in a backgrounder.

Source: IDA. These two charts from the MyConnection SG pilot study show how the three service providers stack up in terms of data download speeds and time-to-connect.

Connectivity

Singtel defines this as the response time to establish a connection to a server i.e. the time taken to connect back and forth with a network, also known as a ping. For most mobile users who surf the Internet, a difference of milliseconds is not noticeable, especially when connecting to local sites, Singtel explained.

"Connectivity is significant however for those playing online games usually hosted in overseas sites such as in the US. Milliseconds can and do determine if the gamer wins or loses against a competitor," the company said in the backgrounder.

In the MyConnection SG report, Singtel registered 50.9 milliseconds and 117.9 milliseconds in 4G and 3G response time respectively.

Speed

This refers to how fast material (e.g. a video) is downloaded, the telco said.

To arrive at typical speed numbers, MyConnection SG measured the lower, middle and upper limits of the download speed experienced by 80% of data sessions, averaged over six months. Singtel noted that from the median 50th percentile, Singtel registered the fastest average typical speed for 3G and 4G at 3.1Mbps and 17.4Mbps respectively.

Peak speed: MyConnection SG report measured the maximum download speed attained in at least 50% of the days covered in the pilot, averaged over six months. Singtel has the fastest peak speed of 38.1Mbps and 118.9Mbps for 3G and 4G respectively.

"It is important to note however that the average speed experienced per user can be affected by factors such as the number of concurrent users, which in turn influences speed consistency. That is why speed tests at a certain location on different times or days may result in different readings," Singtel noted, stressing that the company continuously invests in new technologies that deliver higher speed capabilities so that its subscribers have a fast mobile experience. One such implementation has resulted in 4G+ connectivity in about 150 buildings, including key shopping malls across Singapore.

Coverage

In a separate report from IDA on 4G mobile service coverage for Q1 2015, Singtel had the widest nationwide outdoor 4G service coverage of 99.77%, the company noted, citing a quarterly study by IDA which tests coverage offered by the respective telecom operators while driving through key areas such as the Central Business District, HDB estates and major expressways and roads.

"IDA has stipulated that all telecom companies must meet a minimum criteria of 99% coverage by July 2016. Singtel has already achieved that as of Q1 of 2015," Singtel stated in the backgrounder, adding that it is the only operator with its own premium high-speed Wifi network.

Interested?

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post on the MyConnection SG results.

Tech Saturday at Suntec will showcase where consumer technology is going

Source: Smart Nation website.

Tech Saturday is a carnival event organised by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore for the public to showcase the potential of technology. In addition to a tech showcase, visitors are invited to be hands-on with Worksheds.

These booths, stationed throughout the carnival, will let visitors try out different kinds of technology in a workshop format. Ranging from circuits to 3D printing, all workshops are free. Pre-registration has closed but there will be seats available on-site. Enquire at registration counters near the Worksheds. More information is available here.

One of the highlights of the event is the RC Drift Car Race. This race is where 3D printing meets radio-controlled RC) drifting. Watch RC drifters push the limits of their technical experimentation and skills, drifting with 3D printed car parts they have designed. 

Date: 25 April 2015 
Venue: Suntec City Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hall 401-402