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S'pore modifies telecom licensing and registration policies

The country's IT regulator converts some licenses to lifetime licenses, and does away with registration requirements for devices that are now commonly used in the market.
Written by Staff , Contributor
update SINGAPORE--Equipment suppliers for basic telecommunications and radio-communication devices will no longer need to register their equipment with the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) before selling the products in the local market.
Previously, suppliers had to send in equipment such as telephones, fax machines and dial-up modems, to the country's IT regulator for its stamp of approval. After obtaining the approval, suppliers may then affix a sticker to the products certifying that they complied with IDA's guidelines.

With the pervasiveness of such equipment in the market, along with it the establishment of global standards for these products, it is no longer necessary that these devices carry IDA's compliance labels, according to a media statement released by the regulator.

However, the change in ruling is applicable only to simple, single-line equipment, IDA said. Suppliers for more complex multi-line equipment such as PABX and WBA (wireless broadband access) devices, are still required to register with the authority.

IDA also announced that licenses within six categories which do not require the use of radio frequencies, will be converted to lifetime licensees. These include services-based operator licenses and telecommunication wiring installer licenses. Previously, licenses that fall within these six categories had to be renewed every three or five years, at a cost of between S$30 (US$17.73) to S$200 (US$118.2).

Effective today, the changes are aimed at boosting "business conduciveness" in Singapore's infocomm market, IDA said.

Leong Keng Thai, its director-general of telecoms, said: "This enhancement package seeks to remove unnecessary procedures and processes, or reduce them in the face of a fast-changing infocomm landscape.

"The cost and time savings achieved can then be passed on to users in the form of cheaper, better and wider range of infocomm product offerings."

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