mr funny
03-11-10, 18:57
http://www.straitstimes.com/News/Home/Story/STIStory_597473.html
Oct 31, 2010
Many condos, offices may miss out on new broadband
By Chua Hian Hou and Daryl Chin
Large numbers of residential and commercial buildings here - with occupants totalling hundreds of thousands - may miss out on the much-awaited Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network.
This is despite the new billion- dollar network promising faster and cheaper broadband access, as well as new services not possible on the existing SingTel and StarHub broadband networks.
The hitch: Many condominium management committees and commercial building owners have refused to allow the necessary cabling, which is being done for free, to be installed.
They say that the trunking work is ugly and should be concealed inside walls. The question then is, who pays for this?
So far, nine in 10 condominium and private apartment management committees approached have rejected OpenNet's offer to install the requisite fibre-optic cabling, said an OpenNet spokesman.
OpenNet is a joint venture between SingTel, Singapore Press Holdings, SP Telecommunications and Axia NetMedia. It has been appointed by the Government to lay the new fibre-optic cabling into homes and office buildings.
OpenNet needs approval to gain access to private property. It has approached about half of Singapore's private estates, which account for about 20 per cent of Singapore's one million households.
Housing Board residents do not face such problems as the HDB has given the nod to OpenNet to install the cabling.
OpenNet's contract with the Government is to use surface trunking - white plastic boxy piping - to encase the new cables that will run along the common corridors between homes and risers.
Risers are vertical shafts from which fixtures like phone wiring and TV cables 'rise' up from the ground level before going into homes.
But many condominium management corporation strata title (MCST) committees want the new cables to be concealed within walls or false ceilings.
OpenNet counters that such work requires hacking walls, a costly exercise. It is not prepared to pay for this, and it is understood that many MCSTs also do not want to bear the cost.
Some estates that have gone ahead to have the cables installed along the walls said it was no big deal.
The majority of Tampines Court residents approved the installation at an annual general meeting last year.
OpenNet has since installed the cables at the 26-year-old, 560-unit condominium, said its managing agent, Mr Wilson Ong. MCSTs appoint managing agents to manage private estates.
On the commercial front, all is not smooth either.
The Sunday Times understands that some service providers of the new network are complaining of obstacles preventing the smooth rollout of the network.
One issue concerns hidden costs that emerge when building owners demand additional fees before allowing cabling to be installed.
Mr Benjamin Tan, managing director of SuperInternet, said that some building owners are charging it for items like hiring an attendant to oversee the laying out of cables, which can cost up to $500 for half a day's work.
SuperInternet sells high-speed broadband access via the new network to businesses.
On another issue, StarHub, which is also selling business broadband services, said that some of the installation works by OpenNet were taking too long, despite the mandated timeframe.
OpenNet said it is working with retail service sellers like SuperInternet and StarHub for the final leg of the connection.
Its spokesman said: 'Different properties have their in-house rules, so some might require additional costs or cause delays. This will be communicated back to the service providers.'
He added that this was no different from industry practice of any connection being laid to tenants, fibre or otherwise.
The Government, which co-funds the nationwide network, is aware of the problems.
An Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore spokesman said it will be contacting condominiums' MCSTs and building owners to 'encourage them to provide the necessary access to space and facilities'.
He said those who turn down the installation now would have to pay if they change their minds later.
Some industry observers counsel patience.
Said Mr Daniel Ang, chief executive of business Internet service provider LGA Telecom: 'Any business of this size and national scale will have teething problems when rolling out.'
Oct 31, 2010
Many condos, offices may miss out on new broadband
By Chua Hian Hou and Daryl Chin
Large numbers of residential and commercial buildings here - with occupants totalling hundreds of thousands - may miss out on the much-awaited Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network.
This is despite the new billion- dollar network promising faster and cheaper broadband access, as well as new services not possible on the existing SingTel and StarHub broadband networks.
The hitch: Many condominium management committees and commercial building owners have refused to allow the necessary cabling, which is being done for free, to be installed.
They say that the trunking work is ugly and should be concealed inside walls. The question then is, who pays for this?
So far, nine in 10 condominium and private apartment management committees approached have rejected OpenNet's offer to install the requisite fibre-optic cabling, said an OpenNet spokesman.
OpenNet is a joint venture between SingTel, Singapore Press Holdings, SP Telecommunications and Axia NetMedia. It has been appointed by the Government to lay the new fibre-optic cabling into homes and office buildings.
OpenNet needs approval to gain access to private property. It has approached about half of Singapore's private estates, which account for about 20 per cent of Singapore's one million households.
Housing Board residents do not face such problems as the HDB has given the nod to OpenNet to install the cabling.
OpenNet's contract with the Government is to use surface trunking - white plastic boxy piping - to encase the new cables that will run along the common corridors between homes and risers.
Risers are vertical shafts from which fixtures like phone wiring and TV cables 'rise' up from the ground level before going into homes.
But many condominium management corporation strata title (MCST) committees want the new cables to be concealed within walls or false ceilings.
OpenNet counters that such work requires hacking walls, a costly exercise. It is not prepared to pay for this, and it is understood that many MCSTs also do not want to bear the cost.
Some estates that have gone ahead to have the cables installed along the walls said it was no big deal.
The majority of Tampines Court residents approved the installation at an annual general meeting last year.
OpenNet has since installed the cables at the 26-year-old, 560-unit condominium, said its managing agent, Mr Wilson Ong. MCSTs appoint managing agents to manage private estates.
On the commercial front, all is not smooth either.
The Sunday Times understands that some service providers of the new network are complaining of obstacles preventing the smooth rollout of the network.
One issue concerns hidden costs that emerge when building owners demand additional fees before allowing cabling to be installed.
Mr Benjamin Tan, managing director of SuperInternet, said that some building owners are charging it for items like hiring an attendant to oversee the laying out of cables, which can cost up to $500 for half a day's work.
SuperInternet sells high-speed broadband access via the new network to businesses.
On another issue, StarHub, which is also selling business broadband services, said that some of the installation works by OpenNet were taking too long, despite the mandated timeframe.
OpenNet said it is working with retail service sellers like SuperInternet and StarHub for the final leg of the connection.
Its spokesman said: 'Different properties have their in-house rules, so some might require additional costs or cause delays. This will be communicated back to the service providers.'
He added that this was no different from industry practice of any connection being laid to tenants, fibre or otherwise.
The Government, which co-funds the nationwide network, is aware of the problems.
An Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore spokesman said it will be contacting condominiums' MCSTs and building owners to 'encourage them to provide the necessary access to space and facilities'.
He said those who turn down the installation now would have to pay if they change their minds later.
Some industry observers counsel patience.
Said Mr Daniel Ang, chief executive of business Internet service provider LGA Telecom: 'Any business of this size and national scale will have teething problems when rolling out.'