PM bids to bridge digital divide - Jul 17, 2010

By USANEE MONGKOLPORN
THE NATION
Published on July 17, 2010

Internet surfing will become more affordable for all Thais, thanks to the government's new project to establish a nationwide broadband network that could entail an investment of over Bt10 billion.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will oversee this development himself, Information and Communications Technology Minister Chuti Krairiksh said yesterday.


"The prime minister has given importance to the project, as it will help improve the country's competitiveness and bridge the digital divide and reduce the gap in the information access of Thais," Chuti said.


Abhisit will utilise his power as chairman of the National Information Technology Committee to follow through on the project. Established by the ICT Ministry and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) before Abhisit became prime minister, the committee will hold its first board meeting next month.


Chuti said his ministry would soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the NTC to partially finance the broadband project with the NTC's telecommunication development fund.


The committee is part of the ministry's initiative on a "wireless-road" project, aiming to provide broadband wireless service at an affordable price across the country.


Broadband Internet is now concentrated in Bangkok and big cities. Bangkok surfers pay about Bt400 monthly for a connection speed of 1 megabits per second (Mbps). But according to Chuti, once the project is completed in the next few years, surfers nationwide will pay only an initial monthly service fee of Bt150 for a connection speed of 2Mbps.


Two state agencies, TOT and CAT Telecom, will take the lead in developing the project, Chuti said.


"I want to make it happen within two years. The faster it can take place, the better for the country," he said.


TOT has proposed a budget of Bt14 billion to develop the nationwide broadband project within five years but Chuti said he would adjust the plan to two years.


Meanwhile, CAT Telecom plans to invest an additional Bt3.8 billion through the CDMA project.


Information technology human resources are necessary to smooth the project. To deal with this issue, the ICT Ministry will soon sign memoranda of understanding with universities in Bangkok, the North and the Northeast. Under the memoranda, the universities will introduce special courses to create the needed expertise.

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The ministry will also sign agreements with Rajabhat universities nationwide to produce IT instructors, in cooperation with the Department of Vocational Education and the Department of Skills Development.


It has also set its sights on nurturing 20,000 "cyber scouts" within a year to help improve the digital literacy of people in the provinces. The first group of 200 cyber scouts - all teenagers - completed their training recently.


"We hope that with this project, Thailand's ranking in terms of IT competitiveness will improve," the minister said.


In the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010, Thailand fell to 36th place, dropping for the second year in a row. Highlighted as weak points are insufficient protection of property rights (75th) and security (85th). Meanwhile, Thailand's technological readiness (63rd) is also lagging.

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