Sunday, 5 February 2012
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IT has provided the opportunities for governments to remodel the entire process of tax collection over the last decade. It is, however, a continuously evolving process and governments the world over need to constantly upgrade their tax systems to optimise their revenue workflows.
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Central Government, Digital Inclusion, E-Government
Singapore overhauls free wireless service
The Singapore government has revamped its free, nationwide wireless internet service Wireless@SG to give citizens and businesses faster and easier access to the internet. It is hoped that the service – which will be free until 2013 - will boost innovation and business activity as the island nation’s economy emerges from recession.
The new service is twice as fast as the original offering, with access speeds up from 512 kbps to 1 Mbps, and has an automatic log-in feature to make using the service easier. While the use of Wireless@SG has grown quicker than expected since it launched in 2006, with 1.5 million subscribers registered by December 2009 and usage time up from a monthly average of 2.1 hours to 6.7 hours per user, the service has received some criticism for being slow, unreliable and cumbersome.
The new log-in feature, called Seamless and Secure Access (SSA), is designed to give the user an “always on” experience by automatically connecting to the network when the user is at a Wireless@SG hotspot. This removes the need for the user to re-enter their password every time they log-in. However, users must download Wireless@SG software to use the SSA feature.
The revamped platform features new advertising, facility monitoring and location-based services. For example, if a user is on a floor of a shopping mall with Wireless@SG coverage, they could receive the latest promotions from retailers on that floor.
Does the Singapore government expect Wireless@SG to boost uptake of e-government services? A spokesperson for the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) told FutureGov: Wireless@SG users can now have easier access to more online services, including e-government services such as Map.gov.sg, e-filing of taxes and One.Motoring traffic enquiries, while they are on the move. The enhancements to Wireless@SG and new services will help to further raise the sophisticated use of wireless services.”
Nick Fawbert is the Secretary and Leadership Council for the Singapore chapter of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Southeast Asia. He told FutureGov: “Wireless@SG is particularly appealing to small businesses or entrepreneurs who make use of these locations as a place of work. There’s also a clear appeal to those in education. As a free service to help those most likely to benefit from low cost online access, it’s a great initiative.”
However, Fawbert added: “While interactive access does work well as a public service, there are always questions over using taxpayer money to provide services that may only appeal to certain segments of the population. It’s also important that the government doesn’t undermine private industry, in this instance commercial wireless providers, where innovation often flourishes. It’s through this innovation that Singapore will grow to be a regional IT hub.”
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