The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) announced today that Facilities-Based Operators (FBOs) will be eligible to ballot and/or bid for 3-digit access codes1 if they meet certain criteria. With the full liberalisation of the telecommunication market from 1 April 2000, and with no pre-set limit on the number...
Singapore, 1 June 2000 | For Immediate ReleaseThe Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) announced today that Facilities-Based Operators (FBOs) will be eligible to ballot and/or bid for 3-digit access codes1 if they meet certain criteria. With the full liberalisation of the telecommunication market from 1 April 2000, and with no pre-set limit on the number of licences to be granted, it is expected that 3-digit access codes will be a scarce number resource. As such, only FBOs and not Services-Based Operators2 (SBOs) will be eligible, given the more substantial infrastructure investment commitments of the FBOs.
Only FBOs that meet the following criteria will be eligible to ballot and/bid for 3-digit access codes:
i) FBOs with overall investments in infrastructure, including international connectivity and capacity that will expand the overall global international reach from Singapore, with investment commitment of at least S$150 million over the first 3 years from date of licensing; and
ii) FBOs must intend to serve the mass consumer market base so as to justify the use of 3-digit access codes; for instance, offering international public switched services to the general public. FBOs offering international communication services to just corporate users will therefore not be eligible for 3-digit access codes.
The above criteria ensure that the use of the scarce numbering resource will be best optimised in the consumer interests.
The details and procedure for the balloting and bidding of 3-digit access codes can be found under in the Policy and Regulation section of the IDA website at www.imda.gov.sg.
INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
Note to Editors:
1 3-digit access codes allow users to make IDD calls easily. Today, only SingTel and StarHub have been allocated 3-digit access codes for their international public switched services. There are currently 82 3-digit codes available in the 0XX level as set out in the following table. For a start, IDA will open the 00X to 03X levels for balloting.
| Code | No. of codes available |
| 00X |
5 |
| 01X |
1 |
| 02X |
7 |
| 03X |
9 |
| 04X |
10 |
| 05X |
10 |
| 06X |
10 |
| 07X |
10 |
| 08X |
10 |
| 09X |
10 |
2 Facilities-Based Operators (FBOs) are operators who deploy any form of telecommunication networks, systems and facilities to offer telecommunication switching and/or transmission capacity and/or services to existing licensed telecommunication operators; businesses; and/or consumers. Services-Based Operators (SBOs) are operators who lease telecommunication network elements (such as transmission capacity, switching services, ducts, fibre) from FBO licensees to provide telecommunication services to third parties or resell the telecommunication services of FBOs parties.
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is a dynamic organisation with an integrated perspective to developing, promoting and regulating info-communications in Singapore. In the fast-changing and converging spheres of telecommunications, information and media technologies, IDA will be the catalyst for change and growth in Singapore's evolution into a vibrant global info-communications technology centre. For more information, please visit www.imda.gov.sg.
For media clarification, please contact:
Ms Jennifer Toh
Assistant Manager, Corporate Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Tel: (65) 6211-0508
Fax: (65) 6211-2227
Email: jennifer_toh@imda.gov.sg
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