Penalties for Service Outages that Affected Mobile Network, Broadband Internet and Subscription Television Services in 2024
Ministry of Digital Development and InformationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether investigations into 2024 service outages will lead to penalties for operators and tighter regulatory supervision. Minister for Digital Development and Information Mrs Josephine Teo stated that the Infocomm Media Development Authority is investigating recent disruptions, which appear to be technical issues rather than cyberattacks. She emphasized that operators must adhere to standards under the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Acts, including conducting regular network audits and business continuity reviews. Firm actions, including financial penalties and remedial directions, will be taken if lapses are found, as the Government continues to review regulations for effectiveness. Finally, while outages cannot be entirely eliminated due to system complexity, the Minister urged businesses to enhance their own resilience measures.
Transcript
41 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the authorities are looking into the service outages that affected mobile network, broadband Internet and subscription television services in 2024 and consider imposing penalties on service operators when they do not meet the expected service standards; and (b) whether regulatory supervision will be tightened in light of these service outages.
Mrs Josephine Teo: The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating recent disruptions to mobile, broadband and subscription television services. Preliminary findings suggest that the disruptions were caused by technical issues. There is no evidence of sabotage or cyberattacks.
My Ministry recognises the increasing importance of digital services to the day-to-day activities of consumers and businesses, and the significant impact when disruptions occur. Under the Telecommunications Act and Broadcasting Act, key telecommunications and broadcast service operators are required to put in place robust measures to minimise service disruptions. Operators are held to high levels of service standards in line with international benchmarks. They are required to conduct regular audits and reviews of their network infrastructure and business continuity plans to ensure the resilience of their services.
I would like to assure the House that all service disruptions are taken seriously. Should IMDA’s investigations reveal lapses on the part of operators, firm action will be taken against them, including the imposition of financial penalties and directions to undertake the necessary measures to remedy gaps found.
While every effort should be made to minimise service disruptions, we should plan on the basis that they will not be eliminated. This is especially so, given the increasing scale, functionality and complexity of digital systems. The Government will regularly review our regulations for relevance and effectiveness. At the same time, businesses should consider stepping up resilience measures to minimise inconvenience to their customers when disruptions occur.