IDA slaps OpenNet with $240,000 fine for breaching standards

OpenNet rolls out measures to reduce delays.

According to a release, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has imposed a financial penalty of S$240,000 on OpenNet for breaching its non-residential Quality of Service (QoS) standards for timely service provisioning from April to September 2013 (Q2 to Q3 2013).

IDA has decided to impose a financial penalty of S$240,000 on OpenNet for its failure to comply with the QoS standards in Q2 and Q3 2013. In arriving at the quantum of the financial penalty, IDA took into consideration factors such as the large margin by which OpenNet had failed the QoS standards, and the need for IDA to take strong deterrent action against OpenNet for its poor QoS performance.

IDA has also considered the extent to which third parties have contributed to the delays. These include delays encountered when OpenNet liaises with building owners or their management for site access, site survey, approvals for installation plans and insurance guarantees/security deposits, etc.

As part of its rectification measures, OpenNet had indicated that it had started to put in place several initiatives to reduce the delays. Examples include pre-installing fibre cables at selected non-residential buildings and exploring the possibility of sub-contracting the fibre service provisioning work to their Requesting Licensees. IDA will next assess OpenNet's QoS performance for non-residential end-user connection services starting in April 2014.

Besides the above measures OpenNet has also committed to improving its performance for residential end-user connection services, which include providing more appointment slots on weekdays, weekends and during promotions such as IT shows2, and improving processes to make end-users' transition from one fibre service provider to another more seamless.

OpenNet will make corresponding changes to its Interconnection Offer ("ICO") to reflect the additional measures to improve the service provisioning standards to both the residential and non-residential sectors. IDA will seek comments from the industry on the proposed ICO changes.