Singapore as a smart city-state
Singapore is at the forefront of connectivity and smart city development. Since April 2022, telecom company M1 and Accenture have partnered to drive the growth of 5G for enterprises, with a focus on utilities and smart estates. Building on 5G's standalone network with nationwide coverage, businesses can adopt networked devices to improve connectivity and energy efficiency. As part of the development of a smart city-state, smart sensors play a central role in urban life, from monitoring temperature and humidity to optimizing traffic flow.In February 2023, the first sensor network in the country was launched by SPTel, a joint venture between ST Engineering and SP Group, powered by LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network). This solution enables a wireless connection, offering an alternative to 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi options for loT use cases with low data transmission requirements. The network is built nationwide to increase the accessibility of loT technologies for commercial applications, government projects, and smart initiatives. Such developments have allowed the country to rank seventh among the world’s smart cities, with significant developments in smart mobility, as well as in safety, with CCTV cameras helping residents to feel safer. As technology evolves, Singapore remains at the forefront of innovation, improving urban life for its residents and businesses.
Smart technologies and cybersecurity
Rapid technological advances have led to an expansion of home automation and connected devices, giving rise to the smart home trend. Following this trend, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) promotes smart living by enabling the integration of various smart commercial devices, including the elderly monitoring system. Singapore's commitment to smart home standards is illustrated by the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA) establishment of standards and frameworks, known as Technical References (TRs), for IoT and sensor networks.In addition, data protection has always been a major concern in the IoT sector, as smart home devices are now widely used in the country. According to an April 2023 survey, the majority of Singaporeans questioned said they were concerned that their smart home devices could be hacked, with the main risk associated with connected devices being hackers gaining access to their homes. To address this, Singapore introduced the Cybersecurity Labeling Scheme (CLS) in 2022, under the aegis of the Singapore Cybersecurity Agency (CSA). Like conventional energy labels, the CLS helps consumers assess the cybersecurity levels and vulnerability to cyber-attacks of household appliances.
