Illustrative image (Photo: nationthailand.com) Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand is striving to become the first country in ASEAN tolaunch 5G commercial service, while existing 4G systems are ready to be upgradedto 5G, government deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said.
She said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has encouraged investment in5G to develop technology and the industrial structure. Fifth-generationconnection and technologies would be used in the Eastern Economic Corridor aswell as in big cities to turn them into “smart cities”.
Ratchada said the 5G project would commence in 2023 and cover 98 percentof the population by 2027.
The connection speed is expected to be 100 mbps in cities and 50 mbps inother areas. Some 7,000 SMEs are expected to apply 5G technology, and its valueis likely to be 6.6 percent of the country’s GDP.
Moreover, basic education will be able to access about 700,000 digitaleducational services, which might help raise Thailand’s IMD World DigitalCompetitiveness Ranking to number eight.
Meanwhile, 5G innovation research can spur commerce by 50 percent, sheadded.
The Thai government hasagreed in principle to apply incentives, including tax privileges, as a tool topromote the industrial sector using 5G technology in its production.
Rachada said the first meeting of the National 5G Committee chaired byPrime Minister Prayut on August 14 agreed that incentives such as a corporateincome tax cut, special funding and soft loans would be instrumental toencouraging the private sector to rapidly adopt 5G technology.
The meeting also approved pilot 5G projects./.
VNA
