To improve digital inclusion, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is introducing a new DigitalAccess@Home programme to give low-income Singaporean households with subsidised bandwidth and digital devices (laptop or tablet). This new programme, which will replace the existing NEU PC Plus and Home Access programmes, will be funded with around $80 million over the next four years and is expected to assist sixty thousand homes.
DigitalAccess@Home will be implemented on 3 April 2023. Qualified households can apply for the programme via a streamlined application process and have the freedom to choose their device and broadband connection based on their current needs. The new programme resulted from IMDA’s periodic examination of how low-income households might be better enabled to obtain inexpensive digital connectivity in a time-efficient manner.
Complementing DigitalAccess@Home, partners from the public and private sectors have offered to join the government in assisting low-income households not only to get digital devices and home broadband access but also to acquire digital skills. Together, these initiatives complement the national Digital for Life (DfL) initiative, which encourages Singaporeans to embrace digitisation as a lifelong ambition and enhance their lives.
Some of the Features of DigitalAccess@Home include a) Enhanced flexibility to choose product offerings with expanded product choices and b) Simplified and streamlined application for greater convenience and faster approval.
Qualified homes will have greater device (laptop or tablet) and broadband connectivity flexibility. In lieu of the basic packages, qualified households can now select the offers that best meet their need. Users may also select from a variety of broadband speeds and laptop and tablet devices.
Those eligible families with one to three rooms will pay $10 per month for a broadband connection, while those with four rooms or more would pay $15 per month. They can double their bandwidth from 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps for an extra $5 per month.
Current beneficiaries of some government assistance programmes, such as the Housing & Development Board’s (HDB) Public Renting Scheme and the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) ComCare Assistance, will pay $5 per month for a 500Mbps internet subscription. Depending on their income, households with students on the Ministry of Education’s Financial Assistance Schemes (MOE FAS) may also get the highest amount of subsidy.
If a beneficiary initially picks a device-only or broadband-only option, they have the preference to add a device or broadband to their chosen aid package at any time.
IMDA is also exploring potential partnerships with other government organisations to eliminate the requirement for a separate DigitalAccess@Home application. Initially, IMDA is collaborating with MSF to automatically send ComCare recipients to DigitalAccess@Home by requiring them to opt for the programme when applying for ComCare.
Other applicants may apply via the online method or by hardcopy submissions. Individuals may also seek support with their applications from any of the 37 SG Digital community hubs and self-help organisations (such as the Chinese Development Assistance Council, MENDAKI, Singapore Indian Development Association, and the Eurasian Association). Applicants will no longer be required to submit supporting documents, such as copies of their NRIC or proof of income.
More than twenty partner organisations, including Social Service Agencies and self-help groups, addressed how to enhance Singapore’s digital social compact at a recent ForwardSG conversation sponsored by Minister Teo. Conversations underscored the importance of the 3P collaboration to the DfL movement to satisfy diverse requirements with training and device distribution to low-income families.
