Global Smart City Network to Study Singapore's Wireless@SG

Three Singapore smart city solutions accepted

SINGAPORE, Feb. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore's Wireless@SG programme has catalysed the island nation through a free, seamless, secure and federated public Wi-Fi model. Its self-sustaining ecosystem will now be studied at the Global City Teams Challenge 2018 (GCTC) for possible learnings and adoption.

The GCTC is organized by the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Acceptance of Wireless@SG's proposal for consideration as part of NIST's IoT-Enabled Smart City (IES-City) framework is a step forward for the nation's Digital Economy journey.

The Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) will be leading a delegation to the GCTC to participate, engage in, and explore new partnership opportunities for government, industries, academia, TACs and NGOs.

In addition, two other Singapore proposals were also accepted. The proposals and participating organisations are:

• Deployment of user-friendly, secure, and sustainable federated public Wi-Fi systems - Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore
• The inclusive Smart City: Tech to tackle jobs displacement in a Digital Economy - Singapore Tech (SGTech)
• Reduced customs clearance time with virtual extension of sea ports and other customs-bonded areas, using electronic cargo tracking - Ascent Solutions

The fourth annual GCTC challenge brings together more than 160 smart cities and communities; and 400 organisations, working together to establish and demonstrate replicable, scalable and sustainable smart city models. 2018's theme is the "Smart and Secure Cities and Communities Challenge".

Cities submit action cluster proposals or challenges, which can be aligned to one of eight major superclusters - or focus areas - from GCTC. The eight are:

1. Transportation;
2. Public Safety;
3. Utilities(Energy/Water/Waste management);
4. City Data Platforms;
5. Public WiFi;
6. Data Governance and Exchange;
7. Agriculture and Rural; and
8. Others

Mr. Tan Kiat How, Chief Executive, IMDA, said, "Singapore's track record in Smart Cities and related technologies - such as the Internet of Things, Data Analytics and Cybersecurity - makes participation a natural fit. Our proposals bring to the table Singapore's reputation for secure and trusted solutions; promote business opportunities for enterprises through NIST's GCTC multi-city platform; and enable Singapore to participate in harmonizing global standards. We also aim to engage and learn from other participants as we drive towards achieving our Smart Nation and Digital Economy ambitions."

Mr. Lim Chee Kean, Chief Executive Officer, Ascent Solutions Pte Ltd, said: "We are an IOT company that specializes in developing smart sensors to track cargo and moving assets in order to provide useful data and analytics to empower companies to better understand their business, their customers and their supply chain needs. One of the biggest use of our systems, is by the Customs and Revenue Authorities of the world, where we provide secure electronic cargo tracking."

Ms. Ho Semun, Executive Director, SGTech, said: "To help create a more resilient talent ecosystem in Singapore, SGTech has developed a career guidance programme that uses AI and data analytics to facilitate reskilling and job transitions by helping displaced workers find suitable careers in the tech sector, and then supporting them through the process of adapting to their new roles. We're happy to participate in the GCTC community where we hope to contribute to, and learn from global developments on the future of jobs in smart cities."

About GCTC

NIST approaches the development of standards by recognizing that globally interoperable standards must be consensus-standardized, yet flexible. To discover the right mix of what it terms "pivotal points of interoperability" (PPI), it first takes up successful proposals and cases during the GCTC. At the GCTC, city-level proposals are linked to supercluster discussions and combined to form a series of best-practice guidelines (for both technical and non-technical standards such as financial stability and project management) as well as showcases of successful projects - such as Wireless@SG.

These guidelines are then combined via an IES-City Framework, examining PPI's (for example, a standardized authentication model) which can enable global interoperability, while leaving open other less-critical areas for innovation or customization to each city's needs.

About Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) leads Singapore's digital transformation with infocomm media. To do this, IMDA will develop a dynamic digital economy and a cohesive digital society, driven by an exceptional infocomm media (ICM) ecosystem - by developing talent, strengthening business capabilities, and enhancing Singapore's ICM infrastructure. IMDA also regulates the telecommunications and media sectors to safeguard consumer interests while fostering a pro-business environment, and enhances Singapore's data protection regime through the Personal Data Protection Commission.

For more news and information, visit www.imda.gov.sg or follow IMDA on Facebook IMDAsg and Twitter @IMDAsg.

About SGTech

SGTech is an active and responsible advocate of the technology industry in Singapore. With the evolving technology landscape, SGTech strives to create an ecosystem to anticipate changing technology trends and develop sustainable initiatives that can further strengthen the community and help the industry grow.

SGTech's 700 members range from innovative start-ups, vibrant small and medium-sized enterprises to top multinational corporations that leverage technology as a core driver of their business.

About Ascent

Ascent Solutions is a Singapore-based IoT company that specialises in cargo security and track & trace for smart logistics. We have deep domain knowledge in technologies such as NB-IoT, Satcom, GPRS, Active and Passive RFID. Through harnessing the power of each, Ascent is able to provide innovative solutions to clients with supply chain and logistics issues related to security tracking.

Ascent Solutions has a global network with presence in Africa, Middle East, Latin America, China and ASEAN. Our public sector clients include the tax authorities in Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand and Indonesia as well as the Singapore Ministry of Defence. Our private sector clients range from SMEs to large global companies that wish to secure valuable assets and goods on the move. Working with our partners from around the world, this client base is rapidly increasing as the need for smart logistics grows.

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