On This Date In 1971, The Sentosa Satellite Earth Station Was Opened

Can you imagine a time when watching football in full colour wasn't a thing? On this day (23 Oct) 53 years ago, that all changed when Sentosa became home to Singapore's very first Satellite Earth Station (SES).

This was a huge deal – it meant Singaporeans could watch the 1974 FIFA World Cup final in Munich, Germany, "live" and in glorious colour for the very first time!

Connected to the world

The Sentosa SES was part of Singapore’s plan to stay connected with the rest of the world, especially during a time of economic change. To remain competitive on the global stage, Singapore had to develop strong infrastructure and connectivity, and the SES was the key to opening up those international communication lines.

Enter Sentosa’s SES, with its futuristic (for the 70s) antenna. This satellite station was essential in handling the rapid growth of telecommunications traffic for our Little Red Dot.

Want to learn more about the Sentosa SES and other hidden gems? Check out the Sentosa Heritage Trail.

Bukit Timah Satellite Earth Station. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

More than one SES

Two years later in 1973, a second antenna was added to Sentosa. When Sentosa SES could no longer accommodate more antennas, a second SES was built at Bukit Timah (next to the BKE), beginning operations in 1986. In 1988, another satellite dish was added.

A third SES was constructed in Seletar, located near Lower Seletar Reservoir in Yio Chu Kang, across the SLE.

Thanks to these state-of-the-art facilities, we can now watch "live" football matches and other sporting events from all around the globe.

The World Cup final 1974 between Netherlands and West Germany. | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Boom of colour TVs

Not only did the Sentosa SES bring the world in colour to our screens, but it also sparked a nationwide upgrade to colour TVs.

As the FIFA World Cup 1974 final became the first-ever "live" colour TV broadcast in Singapore, it sparked a buying frenzy of colour TVs. The day before the big match, 2,000 sets were sold as people scrambled to upgrade in time for the historic moment.

One of the first models available in Singapore was the Sierra 22 CTV 26 console, complete with a hardwood frame. It didn’t come cheap at around $2,400 (that’s roughly $4,500 in today’s money).

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