“So, are you a digital native?”, my biology lecturer asked the class. Save for a few students who knew what he was talking about, the rest of us, brow-wrinkled, pondered on how that was even remotely linked to what we were about to study during our first week of school.

Thankfully, he clarified himself and wanted to know how comfortable we were completing online quizzes as part of our module. Indeed, Seoul, where my lecturer is from, is among the best in Asia when it comes to wiring up homes to the Internet. The last time I was there, most homes and many city subway stations were Internet-connected.   As more wireless hot spots have sprung up across our little island, it is easy to see how the Internet has made a permanent change in the way the people work, study and live.

Computers of old - bulky and very chunky. (Courtesy of Google Images)

Stemming from a government initiative more than a decade ago, Singapore has benefitted tremendously from the Internet revolution. While I have been a digital migrant from a very young age, I still remember the times when the closest thing we had to the Internet was the Teleview, which was a program one could access from terminals at various shopping centres. At that time, I remembered using some text-based services – very much like the Teletext today – to send mails, at a cost, of course. And all this when I was still in kindergarten!

Not too long after that experience, I realised that my personal computer had a dial-up modem installed and I quickly started reading up on what I could do with it. Lo and behold, I found out that I could access Teleview from my computer and managed to get some telephone numbers off Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) – a computer software that allows users to download programmes, read news and exchange messages. At that time, I probably didn’t understand how things worked or what was happening; much less, what the entire picture was all about.

An example of the Bulletin Board System (BBS). (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

What I did know was that I could suddenly connect to other computers and chat with people via a very primitive form of electronic mail. Just about the same time, my very much older cousins, who were already pursuing courses at the local polytechnics, were kind enough to let me try out their dial-up connections to their school’s machines, which effectively connected me to the rest of the world via a program known as Lynx. Ah! That was the earliest version of the Internet browser, where everything was text-based. I remembered the first site I visited was known as the Mother of all BBS.

Of course, unbeknownst to me, a larger plan was already in place to allow Singaporeans access information in a manner with much ease. In 1991, TechNet was established as the earliest Internet platform with technologies obtained from our US counterpart. This allowed various research institutions to access data from overseas databanks. Soon after, the Teleview service, which was partnered with Singnet, evolved into a full-fledged Internet access service which took after the name of the latter. That was in 1994.

Netscape, an American computer services company, best known for its web browsers - not a landscape made of fishing nets! (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

The following year, TechNet was acquired by the Pacific Internet consortium and became the second Internet access service provider in Singapore. At that time, the concept of accessing the Internet was still very primitive, yet exciting all the same. I remembered getting a book on Internet from the bookstore, which included software that I needed to connect to the Internet. For a while, I wondered if I could wear the “Winsock” or if “Netscape” was just another form of landscape constructed using fishing nets. I took me quite a while to understand this newly established lingo and the thought of accessing information beyond the neighbourhood library was extremely enticing.

Unlike the neck-breaking speeds that we enjoy nowadays (at least relatively faster speeds), Internet access in its early days was restricted to how fast your dial-up modem was. I started with a 2400bps modem, which was later upgraded to 14400bps, then 28.8kpbs and finally a 56k modem within a span of two years. Technology was evolving at a dramatically high rate and thankfully, the service providers were always a step ahead of their subscribers (which probably helped a great deal in keeping complaints of slow access off for a while). Nonetheless dial-up technology inevitably faced physical limitations which inhibited how much higher transfer rates could go.

Soon after I took on an unlimited surfing plan at $100 per month (or rather, my dad was coerced into taking on a such an offer, which could otherwise burst his wallet) with Pacific Internet, because my household was selected to take part in a trial by Singapore Cable Vision (SCV). For a good two years, we enjoyed free Internet access at a 10Mbps connection. This was made possible because of a government-led initiative to connect the city-state at a high-speed broadband network, which was subsequently manifested in the form of SingTel Magix’s ADSL services in 1997 and SCV’s cable modem services in the same year.

Such implementation of “Internet 2″ technologies eventually allowed users to access not only text and videos at reasonable speeds, but receive high quality multimedia services as well. In June 1998, Singapore ONE, the platform for delivering a wide range of multimedia services to the workplace, school and home, was completed.

Launch of Ministry of Health's (MOH)'s Internet website at College of Medicine Building Auditorium (MICA collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore)

The project, which took two years to achieve, involved five key government agencies to oversee the various aspects of wiring Singapore up – the then Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS) for the infrastructure, the National Science and Technology Board (NSTB) for research and development, Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA) for content, Economic Development Board (EDB) for taking care of the industry aspect and the National Computer Board (NCB) for services and applications. While it was perhaps a Herculean project, it was part of a master plan to provide better services for Singapore citizens in the later years – in the form of government e-services.

In fact, Singapore’s infocomm journey started in the 1980s, where the aim was just to improve civil service administration through a computerisation programme. However, the convergence of information technology and telecommunications paved way for the launch of government online services for the citizens.

SingPass, launched on 1st March 2003 with its humble beginnings from the Central Provident Fund’s (CPF) PAL PIN for CPF members, marked the start of a series of online services through the government’s eCitizen portal. Essentially, the aim was to provide convenience to the citizens and access to various services such as passport and licence applications as well as receiving feedback at the grassroot level. Streamlining of otherwise tedious processes has not only made life much easier for the people, but also contributed to environmental conservation through paperless operations. On top of that, I remembered saving $10 by applying for my passport online!

Wireless@SG allows users to surf on the move! (Courtesy of Google Images)

Since then, the advent of telecommunication technologies has laid the foundations for omnipresent Internet access. Wireless@SG – an ambitious plan to allow web access on the move was launched in September 2007. The programme, which was recently extended to March 2013, was developed as part of the Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure initiative, catered for people who are constantly travelling. Provided by three local operators – SingNet, QMax and iCell, the service allows anyone with a Wifi-enabled laptop to access the Internet through a simple one-time registration. For me, this meant being able to blog on the move, a perfect solution for my terrible memory!

However, what really revolutionised the way we access the Internet was the introduction of mobile broadband services. First introduced by MobileOne (M1), a subscriber can have online access through the use of a broadband modem; and for me, this meant being able to surf the Net while on a long bus journey from NTU to Pasir Ris. Such technology has probably enabled buses to provide free Wifi services for the commuters – so even passengers without a mobile broadband subscription could also access the web.

The digital version of The Straits Times gives readers an opportunity to access news wherever, whenever.

Indeed, the simple execution of the Singapore government’s Civil Service Computerisation Programme in the 1980s and the emergence of new technologies have paved the way for the proliferation of digital access to information. Straits Times Interactive, the digital version of the newspaper, is perhaps the best illustration of this. Launched in 1995, the online media has provided means of accessing news for readers on the go. While I am a regular reader of the online news site, I reckon the hardcopy version is unlikely to go away anytime soon. Not only is the physical publication still a good source for gaining a reader’s attention, it does not require power and can be brought onto planes. On top of that, online advertisements are usually very flashy and typically consume a great deal of bandwidth – which really is the bane of Internet users.

Purchasing groceries online? My grandmother might appreciate that! (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Looking forward, the Singapore government has begun to bring free wireless access into the heartlands. In my opinion, this may probably speed up the uptake of e-services because this could help the citizens overcome the obstacle of not being able to go online. In addition, I would think my grandmother will be glad to have free and easy access to order her groceries from NTUC online, even though this may not replace the fun, thrill and experience of haggling with the store aunty in the wet market and catching up with old neighbours.

Finally, do wish me luck for my test next week. Unfortunately, it is not a computer-based test and how fast I complete it will still depend on the physical strength of my hand and my pencil lead.

To read the other offerings in this special series, see:

• The Road to Nationhood
• Symbols of State
• From Muted Mutterings to One Victorious Voice – The Cries of Merkeda Were Heard
• Under One Roof – Public Housing in Singapore
• The industrialisation of Singapore
• One Nation for all – National Day Celebrations through the years
• Singapore and the United Nations
• Appreciating our efficient transport system
• Preserving the past – Singapore and its Monuments