Monday, December 27, 2004

Singapore: RFID is "an Engine of Growth"

Part I (August, 21, 2004)

In a plan to make itself a base for RFID research, Singapore will be spending US$5.8 million on research and training to promote the development and deployment of RFID by the end of 2006.

Early adoption of RFID has put Singapore on the cutting edge of technology, giving it an edge as a logistics center and global trading center. In 1998, Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) was first to use RFID in an automated toll-collection system, the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system, to control and manage traffic volume in the city. Also in 1998, Singapore's National Library Board (NLB) was one of the first to implement RFID in a library environment.

The two major state-run universities - National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - are developing courses to provide electrical engineering graduates with specialised RFID knowledge. Another local college, the Republic Polytechnic, is developing new RFID curricula for students and executive RFID courses for businesses.

Source: RFID Journal, July 12, 2004

Part II (December 27, 2004)

In its bid to spur domestic RFID development, Singapore has expanded the RFID radio frequency bands on 2 November, 2004. The change would ensure that RFID tags on goods passing through Singapore would be compatible with North American and European bands. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) set the spectrum for RFID application at 866-869 MHz and 923-925 MHz. The power limit for both bands has also been increased from 0.01W to 0.5W, the power limit for the 923-925 MHz band is further increased to 2W explicitly for RFID devices.

Source: CNETAsia, November 2, 2004