Singapore’s free Wi-Fi service, Wireless@SG, got a speed boost this week as the government agency that oversees the service outlined plans to add new features to the network, including location-based services.
On Tuesday, access speeds for Wireless@SG users were increased from 512K bps (bits per second) to 1M bps, with location-based services and secure automated login capabilities to be added to the service by January, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said in a statement.
The three operators who manage Wireless@SG’s 7,500 hotspots — iCell Network, Singapore Telecommunications, and Qmax Communication — are putting the location of all network access points into a database that will be made available to third-party developers working on location-based services for the network, IDA said.
Other services that are in the works include using Wireless@SG for advertising, payments and facility monitoring, the agency said, without providing specific details.
Wireless@SG began operation in 2006. The service will remain free until March 2013.