Singaporeans
Embracing An Online Lifestyle
Whether it is at work, home or play, Infocomm has become a way of life for Singaporeans. This is the findings according to the 'Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage in Households and By Individuals for 2005' that was recently released by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).
The survey results show that more Singaporeans are going online to use Singapore Government services and information. Almost six in 10 Internet users made an online transaction with the government in the last 12 months, with 46% of Internet users completing or lodging forms online. More than 20% use the Internet to make online payments to the Singapore Government.
The convenience of online transactions has also motivated more Singaporeans to go online for their transactions. There was a 10% increase in the number of Singaporeans shopping online (27%) from two years ago with only 17% doing so in 2003 with an average of S$1,048 being spent over the past 12 months. Online transactions and online banking was also extremely popular with more than 40% of respondents completing some form of online transaction in the past 12 months.
While the proportion of households with access to a computer at home remained constant at 74% (same as for 2003 and 2004), it was noteworthy that there was an increase in the number of homes with two or more computers at 28%, up from 25% in 2004 and 23% in 2003. Of these households, 66% of homes had access to the Internet, comprising of nine in ten from private housing and seven in ten from public housing. 29% cited the cost of connecting to the Internet as the main reason for the lack of access in their homes.
The IDA survey also highlighted that household Internet penetration has remained high among the young with 61% of Singapore's resident population aged 15 and above being Internet savvy. These people used the Internet to communicate (96%) and enrich their knowledge (86%) in the last 12 months.
In addition to being a tool to increase productivity and quality of work, the survey also showed that six in ten Internet users aged 15 years and above goes online for leisure, including playing computer games, downloading or uploading of digital photos, listening to online music, reading publications and watching films over the internet.
CEO of IDA, Mr Chan Yeng Kit said Singapore has come a long way since Singapore embarked on national computerisation in 1981. "Today we can be proud of our achievements in harnessing infocomm technology for work, learn and play. Infocomm technology will continue to power the digital economy of the future. As long as Singaporeans remain plugged in and savvy about infocomm, I am confident that Singapore will be well-placed to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities in the digital world."
The infocomm household survey is conducted every year to gauge the adoption and extent of usage of infocomm appliances and services in households and among individuals in Singapore.
