S'pore approves revisions to incumbent's interconnection agreement

SINGAPORE--The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has approved revisions to the Reference Interconnection Offer (RIO) agreement, which include the streamlining of processes and addition of guaranteed service levels.

First approved by the IDA in Jan. 2001, the RIO sets out the terms and conditions under which telecom providers access the network of the island-state's dominant carrier SingTel.

The latest revisions include streamlined processes in areas such as the interconnection service ordering and provisioning. With this change, new telecom players can expect to enter the Singapore market in a shorter time period, IDA said in a media statement.

Service-level guarantees for interconnection services will also be included in the revised RIO, giving telecom operators more certainty in obtaining interconnection services and access to SingTel's network, the authority said.

In addition, IDA indicated that it will make public the prices of interconnection services offered under the RIO. This would allow new market players to better make business decisions and compare prices, it said.

Leong Keng Thai, IDA's deputy chief executive and director-general for telecoms, said: "The RIO continually aims to facilitate quick conclusion of interconnection agreements between SingTel and other telecoms operators. This means faster time to market for competing operators with their telecoms products and services."

The revised RIO is expected to take effect on Nov. 8 this year.