• 
• 

Published on July 31, 2007

Panjai Tantatsanawong, consultant for the plan, said the consultant team was developing the final draft before sending it to the ICT Ministry this month. The ministry will then send the plan to the Cabinet.

He said the plan was the second such plan, aiming to utilise ICT and economic models to drive a knowledge-based society and the economy as a whole under the concept of "A Connected Nation". It will reduce the digital divide between people in metropolitan and rural areas.

"With the National ICT Master Plan 2007-2011, ICT will be important to allow people to access information and knowledge based on globalisation. It will reduce the cost to enter universal access," said Panjai.

He said the plan came with four main pillars - ICT infrastructure, training, innovative research and development as well as ICT management.

For ICT infrastructure, the plan will support the laying down of ICT infrastructure and ICT services nationwide, especially for telecommunications.

It will enable people who live in country areas to purchases ICT devices at affordable prices, the same as people in metropolitan areas. It will also reduce the digital divide and improve the quality of life for people nationwide.

Training will be for both ICT users and developers by using ICT to create ICT skills. For users, the plan will create ICT literacy by providing training and ICT classrooms to create a knowledge base and they will have easier access to information. Meanwhile, it will support developers wanting to create applications and products to support the demand of users and reduce imported products.

He said the third pillar, innovative R&D, would encourage research-and-development organisations to cooperate to produce innovative technology and to push the ICT industry.

For ICT management, the plan will set up an organisation to take care of ICT in government agencies to reduce the complexity and cost of ICT management.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation