Singapore Marches Onward Towards An e-Inclusive Society

Computer ownership and broadband Internet access amongst households in Singapore continue to be on the uptrend. More people are using the Internet for work, play and learning. This was the clear message brought home ...

Singapore, 14 June 2004 | For Immediate Release

Annual Survey of Infocomm Usage in Households & By Individuals 2003 Shows More Singaporeans are Using Infocomm at Work, Play and for Learning

Computer ownership and broadband Internet access amongst households in Singapore continue to be on the uptrend. More people are using the Internet for work, play and learning. This was the clear message brought home by the results of the latest annual survey released by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore today.

The 2003 survey shows that 74% of all households in Singapore now own one or more personal computers (PC). Almost two-thirds of all households (65%) have internet access (either broadband or non-broadband).

Key Findings

Computer Ownership & Internet Access
Home PC ownership has grown steadily over the last few years, rising from 68.4% in 2002 to 73.7% in 2003. This may be attributed to greater awareness amongst families of the importance of IT usage, and also in-part to national programmes such as the e-Celebrations campaign and NEU PC Programme. These programmes promote Infocomm usage amongst the public, the workforce, and emphasize the use of Infocomm technologies in local schools.

With increasingly more attractive Internet access packages, home Internet access is also on the rise, climbing 5.2 percentage points to 64.6% in 2003. The increasingly more affordable broadband access plans and promotional efforts have also resulted in 39.6% of all households surveyed having broadband access in 2003, compared with 24.2% in 2002.

Infocomm Usage Pattern
More Singaporeans are getting connected to the Internet in their daily lives for work, play and learning.

At work, the biggest increases include using Infocomm technology for uploading/downloading files from the office (36.8%), online information retrieval/search (64.1%), video conferencing (11.3%) and Internet SMS (38.5%). This could be due to more businesses using internet-related technologies to increase productivity. Telecommuting may also be on the rise.

Consumers using more sophisticated internet applications also saw an increase. Notable increases came from the use of online banking (32.6%) and Internet telephony (12.8%). At play or leisure, the most notable increase came from playing or downloading games (48.4%). Online shopping saw a mild decline to 20%. The use of Infocomm technology for streaming/downloading/uploading of videos and music also saw a slight decline (27.5% and 37.1% respectively).

With schools emphasizing greater use of Infocomm technology for education and remote learning, there was a marked increase for e-Learning/online education (29.8%), childrens educational content (17%) and online library services (29.9%).

Mr Khoong Hock Yun, Assistant Chief Executive for Industry Development at IDA, said," The increasing adoption of Infocomm technologies among Singaporeans at work, for play and learning is encouraging. It shows that Singaporeans are aware of the benefits of going online."

Please also see info-graphics (219.97KB) attached.

The launch of e-Celebrations 2004
e-Celebrations Singapore is an annual campaign that aims to bring the e-Lifestyle to Singaporeans through fun and engaging activities. The theme for e-Celebrations 2004 is "Having Fun with IT!" and this years focus will be on online shopping and online gaming.

As an introduction to the online shopping experience, an online mall has been launched at www.trustsgmall.com.sg. This coincides with the Great Singapore Sale. Bringing together a host of more than 35 TrustSg accredited websites, it will offer Singaporeans a means to shop online with merchants who have met best-practice standards in business-to-consumer e-commerce.

Added Mr Khoong, "The TrustSg Mall is an important step forward for online shopping in Singapore. The IDA has worked closely with the National Trust Council to set up a 'trusted' mall so that Singaporeans can experience online shopping with peace of mind. I hope the convenience and good deals will keep online shoppers coming back for more!"

Playing online games can also be a fun way to experience the e-lifestyle. The IDA is supporting a series of upcoming online gaming tournaments organized by private-sector partners such as NCI Leisure, Playworks, Microsoft, SingTel and others all through June and in the coming months. Some of the highlights include a Military First-Person Shooter Game tournament and the PGR2 (driving) tournament on X-Box Live.

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ISSUED BY CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIVISION
INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

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Notes to Editor:

About the Survey on Infocomm Usage in Households & Individuals 2003
The Survey on Infocomm Usage in Households 2003 aims to gauge the level of ownership of Infocomm appliances and subscription to Infocomm services in Singapore households. In addition, it assesses the scope and extent of Infocomm usage, and identifies barriers and motivations for Infocomm adoption and usage. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 1,500 households selected from the Household Sampling Frame maintained by the Department of Statistics for the survey. This is the eighth household Infocomm usage survey, with the first survey being conducted in 1990.

About the NeU PC Programme
Initiated in April 2003, the NeU (New & Used) PC Programme offers two options to low-income families to own a PC. They can either choose to purchase a new PC at a very affordable price, or receive a used but refurbished PC, for free. Every PC will be bundled with technical warranty, software and Internet access.

About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) develops, promotes and regulates info-communications in Singapore, with the aim of establishing Singapore as one of the world's premier infocomm capitals. To nurture an internationally competitive infocomm industry, IDA offers a comprehensive range of programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more information, visit https://www.imda.gov.sg/

For media clarification, please contact:

Kelvin Lee
Manager, Corporate Communication
Tel : +65 6211 1726
Fax : +65 6211 2227
Email: Kelvin_lee@imda.gov.sg