Singapore applies ex ante licensing requirements for certain digital services. For audiovisual digital services, Art. 8 of the Broadcasting Act 1994 requires licensable broadcasting services provided in or from Singapore to be licensed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), with licence terms and conditions determined by the Authority. On this basis, operators providing internet-transmitted television services, including OTT television and video-on-demand services, in or from Singapore may require a Niche Television Service Licence and must comply with the Content Code for Over-the-Top (OTT), Video-on-Demand (VOD) and Niche Services.

Under Reg. 3 of the Telecommunications (Class Licences) Regulations, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) may grant class licences for the provision of services-based telecommunications services. The Services-Based Operations (SBO) licensing framework covers operators that lease telecommunications network elements to provide their own telecommunications services, or resell telecommunications services to third parties. According to IMDA’s Guidelines for Submission of Application for Services-Based Operations Licence, Virtual Private Network (VPN) services are expressly included among the services requiring an SBO (Individual) Licence.

Under the Telecommunications (Dealers) Regulations, Singapore regulates the import of telecommunication equipment. Importers require a Telecommunication Dealer’s Licence issued by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), as well as an import permit from Singapore Customs, which must be obtained through TradeNet before the goods arrive in Singapore. The requirement applies to telecommunication equipment generally, including mobile phones and other equipment covered by relevant AHTN/HS codes, and is not limited to HS code 8517.
A Telecommunication Dealer’s Class Licence holder may import registered or approved telecommunication equipment and equipment listed in the First Schedule of the Regulations. A Telecommunication Dealer’s Individual Licence holder may also import non-registered telecommunication equipment for re-export purposes. Under Reg. 11 and the Third Schedule, prohibited telecommunication equipment, including scanning receivers, military communication equipment, telephone voice-changing equipment, certain radio-communication equipment operating in restricted frequency bands, and radio-communication jamming devices, may not be imported unless prior approval is granted by IMDA.

Under the Code of Practice for Online Communication Services, designated online communication service providers must take all reasonably practicable steps to prevent their services from being used for scams and malicious cyber activity offences.
In particular, Section A5 requires service providers to retain all available data relating to accounts that have been, or are suspected of being, used for scams and/or malicious cyber activities. This includes, where available, records identifying the account user(s), transaction or interaction records, activity logs, IP addresses, and metadata. Such data must be retained for at least 90 days to support potential criminal investigations into scams and malicious cyber activities.
The currently designated online services include Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WeChat, WhatsApp, and TikTok.

Copyright enforcement in Singapore remains a concern in the online environment. It is reported that stakeholders continue to raise concerns regarding enforcement against unauthorised streaming services, third-party illicit streaming devices (ISDs), and illicit Internet Protocol television (IPTV) applications used to access pirated content.

Singapore has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Singapore has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

In Singapore, there is no specific legislation dedicated to the protection of trade secrets. Instead, trade secrets are typically safeguarded through the common law doctrine of breach of confidence, alongside intellectual property and contract law, where applicable. For information to qualify as a trade secret or confidential information, it must not be publicly accessible and must be clearly and specifically identified, as demonstrated in Nanofilm Technologies International Pte Ltd v Semivac International Pte Ltd and others [2018] SGHC 167.
Additionally, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore outlines three key considerations for determining whether a breach of confidence has occurred: (1) whether the information has the quality of confidentiality; (2) whether it was communicated under circumstances that impose an obligation of confidentiality—this obligation can exist even if the information was accessed or acquired without the company’s consent; and (3) whether the person who obtained the information can prove that they were unaware of its confidential nature or acquired it unintentionally.

It is reported that there is no obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in Singapore to deliver telecom services to end users. However, it is practised in both the mobile and fixed sectors based on commercial agreements.

Singapore retains state-linked ownership in the telecommunications sector through Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel), the incumbent telecommunications operator. According to Singtel’s Annual Report 2025, Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited is Singtel’s largest shareholder, holding 50.29% of Singtel’s issued share capital. Since Temasek is wholly owned by the Singapore Minister for Finance, Singtel remains majority-owned through a government-owned investment holding company.

Singapore does not mandate functional separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market. However, accounting separation is required in some instances (dominant licensees and their related companies).
Under Section 2.3 of the Code of Practice for Competition in the Provision of Telecommunication and Media Services 2022, a telecommunications licensee or regulated person may be classified as a dominant entity where it operates facilities that are sufficiently costly or difficult to replicate, creating a significant barrier to market entry, or where it has the ability to exercise significant market power in a market covered by its telecommunications or media licence.
The Accounting Separation Guidelines, issued under Section 28 of the Telecommunications Act, allow the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to require facilities-based operators and individually licensed services-based operators to comply with accounting separation. The Guidelines provide for two levels of accounting separation: detailed segment reporting, which applies to dominant facilities-based operators and certain related entities, and simplified segment reporting, which applies to certain entities linked to a dominant operator.
Functional or structural separation is not generally imposed on all dominant operators. However, IMDA may impose structural separation as an enforcement remedy in appropriate cases under Sec. 12.6.4.6 of the 2022 Code.

The "Guidelines for Submission of Application for Services-Based Operations Licence" outline the procedures for obtaining the Services-Based Operations (SBO) Licence, which authorises an operator to provide services-based telecommunications services in Singapore. Generally, operators that lease international transmission capacity to deliver their services are required to obtain an SBO (Individual) Licence. According to Section 2.3 of the Guidelines, applicants seeking an SBO (Individual) Licence for prepaid services must ensure that their company possesses a minimum paid-up capital of SGD 100,000 (approx. USD 74,000).

Singapore has appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

According to the Info-communications Media Development Authority Act, the Info‑communications Media Development Authority, the executive authority for the supervision and administration of services in the telecommunications sector, is independent from the government in the decision-making process.

Under Art. 199 of the Companies Act 1967, every company must keep accounting and other records that sufficiently explain its transactions and financial position. Where those records are kept outside Singapore, Art. 199(4) requires the company to send to and keep in Singapore the statements and returns necessary to enable the preparation of true and fair financial statements, including any documents required to be attached to them. These records must also remain open to inspection by the company’s directors at all times.