Vulnerable groups to get more support to gain digital access
Over 80,000 Singaporeans pledge to help in various ways, including donating excess data
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Jong Ching Yee
More than 80,000 Singaporeans have pledged support to help vulnerable groups gain digital access and connectivity through the Data for All initiative launched on May 21 at the Digital for Life Festival.
The festival, which is being held in person and online, ends today.
Through this initiative, three major telcos - StarHub, Singtel and M1 - have each committed to providing 10,000 mobile data lines, which will benefit 30,000 Singaporeans. Those who have pledged to help will do so in various ways, such as by donating excess data.
Users of StarHub's Giga can utilise the app to show their support for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Each beneficiary will receive 6GB of data a month and other bonuses, such as free data rollover, which allows unused data to be carried over for another two data renewal cycles.
Singtel's Gomo users can donate excess data, and Singtel will consolidate the data into Hi SIM cards. Vulnerable seniors will get 3GB of data a month through this donation.
M1 will donate up to 10,000 SIM cards with free mobile plans to youth from lower-income families. They will get to enjoy benefits such as 50GB of data and unlimited incoming calls every month for a year.
At community and lifestyle hub Heartbeat@Bedok, where the festival is held this weekend, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said yesterday that the festival has drawn over 13,000 participants who have attended various activities in person since its launch on May 21. She added: "We are very encouraged by the response... Although digital has become so much a part of our lives, there are still Singaporeans who feel uncomfortable. We hope that through more of such events, we can build up their confidence."
Mrs Teo was joined by President Halimah Yacob and Minister of State for Communications and Information and National Development Tan Kiat How. They visited exhibitions put up by social service agency Lions Befrienders, Google and the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP), and observed workshops held by non-profit organisation Vivita and volunteer group SGBono.
Lions Befrienders and AiSP are recipients of the Digital for Life Fund, which provides funding assistance for ground-up digital inclusion initiatives.
AiSP's Cyber Wellness project under the fund enables seniors, youth and those with special needs to learn the importance of cyber security and cyber wellness through webinars and roadshows, for instance.
Lions Befrienders' IM-OK device aims to allow remote monitoring of seniors' well-being. Every morning, seniors will have to press a button on the device to indicate that they are fine. It also contains digital literacy-related features such as cyber-security tips and a scam simulation app to educate the elderly on how to stay safe online.
Madam Ng Soh Guat, 77, a Lions Befrienders beneficiary, said that since receiving the device in February, she feels a lot safer. The retiree said: "I live alone. With this device, if anything were to happen to me, at least people will know."
