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2,300 DBSS flats in pipeline

2,300 DBSS flats in pipeline
By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 24 May 2010 1821 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 Artist's impression of Parc Lumiere - SIM LIAN GROUP website

 
SINGAPORE : Flat buyers can look forward to more public housing choices under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS).

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Monday awarded a tender for a site that could yield about 700 DBSS flats in Yishun to Guthrie (DBP) and SK Land for S$148.9 million.

HDB will tender another three new DBSS sites later this year that could yield about 1,600 flats in Tampines, Bedok Reservoir and Upper Serangoon.

The first site will be launched for sale next month, while the other two will be rolled out in the second half of the year. The combined estimated yield from these three sites is 1,590 units.

The total of 2,300 DBSS flats in the pipeline will further supplement the Build-To-Order (BTO) system, which is the main supply of new HDB flats.

DBSS flats are developed and sold by private developers. They have a 99-year lease and are sold under similar HDB eligibility conditions.

Ninety-five percent of the flat supply for applicants will be set aside for first-timers.

- CNA/al 


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Google sees potential for mobile internet space in Asia

Google sees potential for mobile internet space in Asia
By Desmond Wong | Posted: 20 May 2010 2008 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 The Google logo on the rooftop of the Google China headoffice building in Beijing

 
SINGAPORE: More Asians are accessing online content via their mobile phones rather than their computers and US-based Google wants a slice of the mobile internet market.

Speaking at a conference in Singapore, the internet giant said some issues will need to be addressed before the segment can take off in the region.

Mobile phone penetration is high in Asia and more users are surfing the web or checking emails on their handset.

Asians are also quick to embrace technology and Google said this is an opportunity for companies in the region to create applications and even take their business offshore.

Charles Rim, principal, Corporate Development, Google Inc, said: "In Asia, a lot of these mobile apps have developed a lot quicker than they have in the States. Mobile in the States was pretty rudimentary until about this year or last year.

“So that's an area where I think companies in Asia have an opportunity to do things in the States. We haven't seen a lot of successes yet, but I think it's a question of timing.”

Google said tech savvy economies like South Korea and Japan have a vibrant mobile internet sector.

But some parts of Asia are still lagging when it comes to pricing and infrastructure.

Google added that prohibitive prices for mobile devices and data plans will also hamper the sector's growth.

Mr Charles Rim said: "Today, with very bad speeds, if your broadband experience is still only going to be 150Kbps to 200Kbps and it's going to cost you S$100 a month, no one is going to do it.

“But the other end of the spectrum is Korean, where everyone's doing 5 Mbps and you can do all you can eat data for 40 bucks, then everyone's doing it.”

Google added that firms in emerging markets like Asia have an ace up their sleeve they can exploit.

First movers like Baidu in China are familiar to their domestic users and companies can use this familiarity to secure their gains in their home markets, thus making them much harder for foreign firms to dislodge. 

- CNA/vm 

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BTO in Boon Lay gets strong demand

BTO in Boon Lay gets strong demand
By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 19 May 2010 1110 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 Artist's impression of BTO project Boon Lay Grove

 

SINGAPORE: The latest Build-To-Order Project, Boon Lay Grove in Jurong West, is receiving heavy interest from home buyers.

Observers say the upcoming Jurong Lake District makes the location more attractive.

Based on latest figures from the HDB website, more than 3,800 people have applied for the 450 units being offered.

That is close to nine times as many applicants as there are units.

Some 2,500 people have applied for the 300 four-room units.

Close to 1,400 people have applied for the 150 five-room units on offer.

The other BTO project, Floral Spring@Yishun, is not seeing as strong a demand. The number of applicants exceeded the number of units available by about five times.

The project offers a mix of studio apartments, as well as four- and five-room units.

Altogether 600 units are being offered at Floral Spring. 

– CNA/jy

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