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The 1970s and 1980s saw great innovation and advancement in telecommunication technology, resulting in changes in networks and services through digitalisation and computerisation to stay abreast of global trends.

In 1968, a pilot Pulse Code Modulation scheme for transmission of digitised analogue voice signals was introduced for telephone services and a full-scale scheme was rolled out nationwide in 1973. Phone conversations became clearer and transmission capacity of inter-exchange telephone cables increased by 30 times .

In 1977, telephone systems in two telephone exchanges were upgraded under a pilot project with the introduction of stored programme control electronic switching systems (ESS) enabling calls to be connected electronically by a computer programme stored in the memory of the switching system. This was more efficient and reliable compared to the previous use of relay switches and cross-bar switching. When ESS was launched nationwide, subscribers also enjoyed optional "Phone-Plus" facilities such as abbreviated dialling, call waiting and call forwarding.

The "Push-button Telephones for All" programme was implemented in the 1980s . All 500,000 rotary telephones in Singapore were replaced by push-button telephones between 1980 and 1985 . Besides being fast and more reliable compared to the rotary dial phones, they enabled new computerised services, such as phone-banking and alpha-numeric radio paging services, to be introduced.

In the 1970s and 1980s, data transmission over switched telephone network or leased lines was one of the fastest growing fields in the telecommunication industry when modems were introduced. In large corporations such as banks and multi-national corporations, input/ output terminal devices at various remote locations were linked to central computers for various applications via modems . Input terminal devices included keyboards, card readers and devices for data entry into a computer, while output terminal devices included printers, visual displays and speakers that presented information to computer users.

In 1978, Telepac service - a remote computer-access service based on packet switching - was implemented. Packet switching is a mode of data transmission in which information is broken into small blocks or packets, then sent to a network based on the destination address in each packet, over any available routes for each packet. When received at the destination, packets are reassembled. It is commonly used in international communications due to greater circuit efficiency and lower cost. The best-known use of packet switching is the Internet. Telepac service enabled subscribers to link their data terminals to over 200 data processing computers and databases in the U.S. to search for and retrieve information for research and business purposes . In January 1982, when TAS took the next step of establishing its own packet switching system to international standards and enhanced its Telepac service to enable connection of incompatible computers and higher speed terminals, the system enhanced Singapore's status as a regional communications hub .

The early efforts to modernise our telecommunication networks and services accelerated Singapore's growth, laying the foundation for the Government's Singapore ONE project. This jump-started the development of broadband multimedia network and services in the 1990s and positioned Singapore as an international hub for information, education and culture . Singapore ONE was a major step in the national IT2000 vision to transform Singapore into an Intelligent Island. To mobilise early adopters, a Pioneer Club was set up to encourage early participation .

By Info-Communications Media Development Authority. Published December 2020.