Singapore is world's second best country for digital connectivity

It tops Asian peers with a score of 72.

Singapore is ranked top Asian country in terms of connectivity and digital transformation, based on recent study by Huawei.

With a score of 72 in the Global Connectivity Index 2016, Singapore trails behind global top ranking US which scored 74.

Now on its third year, the report measures nations' progress when it comes to digital transformation using 40 indicators covering the supply, demand, experience, and potential of five technology enablers: broadband, data centers, cloud, big data, and IoT.

Here's a snaphot of Singapore's progress in digital transformation:

Through the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Singaporean government has developed Home Access, a program for bringing broadband to needy households.

Designed for homes bringing in less than S$1,900 (about US$1,400) that have at least one Singaporean citizen and no school-age children, Home Access provides 100 Mbps fiber broadband connectivity plus a tablet at a subsidized rate of around S$6 per month.

In a move to deepen demand, the scheme is expected to benefit 8,000 households over four years. “In Singapore, no one should be left behind by the march of technology,” says Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of IMDA.

“Whether it’s for video conferencing, surfing the Internet or keeping in touch with family and friends on social media, these types of digital inclusion initiatives are designed to help all groups to live, learn, and play, and to feel included in a digitally connected Smart Nation.

To provide better cloud services, the Singaporean government is opting for a multipronged approach. This includes opening up the broadband market so new players can deliver services over the nationwide fiber network, which has resulted in a slew of innovative broadband packages at competitive prices for cloud access.

The government has also introduced the multi-tier cloud security (MTCS) framework to provide a complete yet flexible approach for enterprises to choose the security level they need.

Since its launch, 62 cloud service providers have been certified to provide a diverse range of secure-certified cloud services for enterprises.

In a step further, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Agency (IMDA) has launched Support for Cloud-enabled Certified Secure SaaS (SUCCESS). In partnership with MTCS-certified Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) providers, the program is designed to stimulate MTCS uptake by Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers.

Through the program, IaaS providers help and provide incentives for independent software vendors (ISVs) to obtain MTCS certification. The MTCS is aligned with the
ISO27001 and CSA open certification framework, which allows service providers (CSPs) certified under either MTCS or other international benchmarks to quickly crosscertify.

Crucially, this is helping to achieve a global ecosystem with a set of common languages and standards.