Singapore Telecommunications : Singtel among Top 50 Engineering Feats winners at The Institution of Engineers, Singapore award

Singtel sponsors $50,000 for IES- SG50 Golden Jubilee Scholarship Fund

Singapore, 1 July, 2016 - A Singtel project 'Conversion of Overhead Poles to Underground Plants for Telecommunication Cables' has been named as one of the Top 50 Engineering Feats at The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) - SG50 Award. Mr Tay Soo Meng, Group Chief Technology Officer, received the award on behalf of Singtel from Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, who was the Guest-of-Honour for the IES Golden Jubilee Gala Dinner held last evening.

Started in 1980, the Singtel project converted Singapore's overhead telecommunication cable poles into underground plants. Despite the higher costs of constructing and operating the underground telecommunication plants, Singtel proceeded with the enormous undertaking to convert the overhead poles, as it foresaw that the longer terms benefits would outweigh the near term costs.

The conversion was necessary to alleviate the problems of overhead poles, which created obstructions to pedestrians and traffic, unsightly hanging cables and the risk of exposing cables to weather damage. Underground plants afforded better public safety due to less obstructions, more room for aesthetic development and greater protection for the cables against the elements.

'We are honoured to receive this award as a recognition of our contribution to Singapore's telecommunication infrastructural development. In fact, the conversion to underground plants not only boosted the reliability and resiliency of Singapore's telecommunication network, it also proved beneficial for the subsequent fibre cable roll-out for the New Generation National Broadband (NGNBN) more than 20 years later,' said Mr Tay Soo Meng.

Grooming engineering talent by supporting IES-SG50 Golden Jubilee Scholarship Fund

Singtel is also contributing $50,000 to the IES-SG50 Golden Jubilee Scholarship Fund in support of the next generation of engineers. The IES intends to raise a total of $500,000 to help 50 engineering students from local universities and polytechnics, with priority given to students from needy families.

'We are pleased to support the IES-SG50 Golden Jubilee Scholarship Fund, which is a highly meaningful initiative. It is essential that Singapore continues to have a strong pool of engineering talents who can innovate and bring their skills to bear on furthering Singapore's economic, infrastructural and societal development,' added Mr Tay Soo Meng.

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