The government plans to install smart screens at lift landings of all public housing blocks, allowing residents to view relevant information such as bus timings, weather conditions and community events, according to media reports quoting Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Dr Balakrishnan who is also Minister-in-Charge of the Smart Nation programme, made the announcement at the opening of the Internet of Things (IoT) Asia conference.
“The concept is this: To provide relevant information and opportunities for interaction for local communities (by) leveraging on technological tools available.
“I want to get people looking at more than just a personal screen they hold in the palm of their hands, I want people to do things together and share collective experiences. This is part of nation-building 3.0,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
He added that every block in every precinct will eventually have the chance to exploit new technologies in “transforming the way we live, work, play, organise … build common experiences, generate memories and bring up our children”.
Despite the strong potential of Smart Nation, Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged that there are still concerns about security and privacy breaches about using such technology. Nonetheless, he assured that laws and policies will keep up with the expanded use of technology.
He also urged businesses to share their ideas for a Smart Nation, noting that they can use the government as their “reference customers”.
“Make us your best offers, your best ideas. Because you know we are sceptical, knowledgeable and demanding customers, if you can convince me into buying or using your product, you can use that as your calling card in other parts of the world,” he stated.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Singapore Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
