In brief
On 1 July 2026, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) launched a public consultation on the draft Digital Infrastructure Bill (“Bill”), which closed on 22 July 2026. The Bill seeks to uplift the security and resilience of digital infrastructure services and the environmental sustainability of data centre (DC) operations in Singapore.
The Bill complements the Cybersecurity Act by requiring regulated providers to take measures to ensure the security and resilience of major DC facility services and cloud computing services.
In more detail
The Bill introduces two new licensing regimes administered by IMDA:
- A major foundational digital infrastructure (FDI) licensing regime
- A DC Operator licence regime, primarily aimed at imposing and uplifting baseline environmental sustainability standards across the DC sector
Licensing regime for major FDI service providers
The licensing regime and regulatory framework apply in respect of major FDI services provided to users in Singapore.
A major FDI service is a digital infrastructure service:
- For which the loss or impairment of the provision of the service is likely to lead to or cause widespread disruption or deterioration of the operations of businesses or organisations in Singapore
- Which is specified in the Schedule as a major FDI service
The following are specified as major FDI services in the Schedule:
- A DC facility service provided in a DC which has a critical IT load1(CIL) of ≥ 10 megawatts (MW), which is used to serve other parties unrelated to the operator of the DC; or
- A cloud computing service that has generated revenue from users in Singapore of ≥ SGD 100 million per year on average over the three preceding years and falls within the categories of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) or Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) but not Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).
Providers of these major DC facility services and cloud computing services will have to apply to IMDA for a major FDI licence. Licensees will be required to:
- Implement processes and measures to ensure the security, including the physical security and cybersecurity, of their services
- Implement business continuity and disaster recovery plans to ensure timely resumption of their services from interruptions to their business activities and processes
- Notify IMDA of the occurrence of cybersecurity incidents or service delivery disruptions
Licensing regime for DC operators
DC operators with a CIL of at least three MW will have to apply to IMDA for aDC licence.A DC operator that also provides a DC facility service described above will be required to hold both a major FDI licence and a DC licence, though IMDA will streamline the application process for applicants applying for both licences.
Licensed DC operators will be required to meet environmental sustainability requirements and facility-level energy efficiency requirements, specifically, power usage effectiveness requirements. IMDA may also provide for requirements and practices relating to information technology equipment energy efficiency and facility-level water efficiency requirements in the future.
Administering and enforcing the Act
IMDA will be empowered with the following key powers:
- Licensing powers. IMDA may grant, renew, suspend or revoke major FDI licences and DC licences, and impose or modify the conditions of such licences, in appropriate cases.
- Codes of practice and directions. IMDA may issue codes of practice and directions to licensees, including directions to require compliance with any code of practice applicable to the licensee.
- Financial penalties. IMDA may impose financial penalties of up to the higher of SGD 1 million or 10% of the licensee’s annual turnover in Singapore for non-compliance.
- Enforcement and investigation. IMDA enforcement officers will be empowered to carry out enforcement and investigation actions.
Key takeaways
- Providers of major DC facility services and cloud computing services, along with DC operators, should closely monitor developments to assess whether they fall within these new licensing regimes and, if so, the applicable requirements.
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