Singapore's Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) is officially open for business, with the network's operating company Nucleus Connect announcing that it has started commercial operations.

Nucleus Connect provides retail service providers with open access and wholesale connectivity services on the new network, having been appointed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA Singapore) in April of last year to design, build and operate the active infrastructure.

“Today marks a historical moment not only for Nucleus Connect but also for Singapore’s infocomm future as we transform Singapore into a global city, an intelligent nation," said David Storrie, CEO of Nucleus Connect.  "It signals the beginning of a journey of infinite possibilities, made possible by our commitment to empower RSPs to develop services beyond our imagination […]  We are confident that businesses and consumers can enjoy rich and innovative content, applications and services from a variety of RSPs in the near future.”

Nucleus Connect also named the first retail service providers (RSPs) who will be delivering services over the new network - LGA, M1, Singtel, StarHub (owner of Nucleus Connect) and SuperInternet.  Interoperability testing will now commence, allowing these operators to test and validate their services over a simulated next-gen NBN environment, after which they will launch their services to consumers "very soon", offering speeds of up to 1 Gbps.