Can Thailand keep up with the game?

Accharas Ouysinprasert is country manager for Intel Thailand.

Intel is committed to the development of broadband technology such as WiFi and WiMax because of the clear benefits it brings to communication, or to sending and receiving large amounts of information. We view broadband Internet as fundamental to promoting a country's advancement in terms of its economy, education and other crucial areas. Broadband technology can also result in higher returns on investment than fixed-line Internet systems, especially in remote areas where wired connections can be difficult and costly.

Research by the National Statistics Office, among 30,000 households around the country, indicated a 20-per-cent increase in the Internet-user rate between 2005 and 2006, but only a 10-per-cent rise from 2006 to 2007. The research also revealed a decline in broadband use from 52.8 per cent in 2005 to 46.2 per cent in 2007.

I believe this decline results partly from a lack of a clear government policy on how best to realise the benefits of wireless-broadband technology. Services at present are still limited, with many people remaining unaware of broadband Internet's benefits.

We need also to acknowledge that providing the technology only in major cities may well lead to a new "digital divide". I believe high-speed technology is an essential tool in building a strong, broad-based and well-educated society.

Pricing is of course another factor contributing to broadband Internet's slow growth in Thailand. The cost of broadband in Thailand when compared with the average income is as high as 11 per cent.  In Singapore and Taiwan, for example, and using the same criteria, the cost is only 0.01 per cent.  For this reason alone, market competition in Thailand must be actively encouraged.

The ICT Ministry has formulated a master plan to improve the ICT skills of the Thai workforce and to promote the use of IT in a creative and responsible way. The ministry is also focusing on developing an IT infrastructure to provide more access to the Internet, and importantly to raise competitiveness within the ICT industry. In order to increase Internet access to a wider public, the ministry plans to establish about 800 community IT centres across the country by 2011.   

Thailand's original aim of becoming an ICT hub, ranking third after Singapore and Malaysia, seems to have faltered. Vietnam for example, currently has an estimated 17 million Internet users after having only 200,000 in 2000. It also has several IT projects under way. Cambodia and Laos are now able to use 3G technology commercially.

My hope is that, as we all face the challenges of 2009, a determined effort will be made to give Thailand the broadband technology it deserves to enable it to stay ahead of the very competitive and fast-changing information technology game.