At The Greater Mekong Investment Forum 2017, CAT announced its readiness to welcome the "Thailand 4.0" era with strengthened digital infrastructure which will provide people with equal accesses to connectivity.
The Forum was organised by Euromoney Asia magazine at Centara Grand at CentralWorld in early June.
Representing CAT Telecom PCL (CAT) at the Forum, Dr. Dhanant Subhadrabandhu, Executive Vice President, Product Development Group, joined the discussion on 'Digitalisation and the E-commerce Boom in the GMS'.
"The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is the 8th largest economy in the world, with growth in trade and investment," he noted.
"Thus, demands for sufficient, effective telecommunication to support economic and social expansion have been increasing."
"Moreover, the rising numbers of Generation X and Y people, who have massive spending power and refined understanding of and accesses to technology, has encouraged borderless commercial activities we call E-Commerce."
"This trend has been rapidly gaining popularity in this region and we can see that entrepreneurs are actively developing their operations on online platforms to raise their businesses to the standard required of international markets."
"Thailand is moving towards the 'Thailand 4.0' era, when industries will rely on digital innovations and online connections. Thanks to these digital inventions, we will gain fast, convenient access for each business process. This will help raise values and productivity."
"Under its 'Thailand 4.0' programme, the Thai Government is promoting the development of digital infrastructure, trying to close the digital gap and supporting equitable digital development. Among its key projects is 'Village Internet' under which broadband internet will be accessible in villages throughout the country."
"As a network provider, CAT creates the required connections at domestic and international levels. To this end, we have been continuously expanding and developing infrastructure. In so doing, we have been promoting a network-to-network model within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), especially in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Thanks to its location, Thailand can be the primary hub not only of trade and investment activities but of networks that connect easily to other networks around the world. This is who the Government aims to make Thailand the digital hub of Southeast Asia."
CAT is currently cooperating with the state sector in the development of several projects. One of these, "Smart City," will debut in Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen. In a smart city, using IoT, people will be able to connect with private and state services in real-time with optimal convenience. Among other advantages, Dr. Dhanant tips this to provide a massive boost to tourism.
CAT and the Thai government are also working closely together on projects proposed for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). For instance, "Digital Park Thailand", in Si Racha, Chon Buri, is being developed as a hub of research and development of digital innovations, with the aim of adding value in Thai businesses and industries. The project will be financed partly using the government to government (G2G) investment model, as well as private sector local and foreign investors. The Park will attract digital innovators from around the world to share their experiences and knowledge and CAT will provide its telecommunications infrastructure and connectivity both domestically and internationally.
"Risks of cyberattacks are inevitable with digitalisation and users are understandably worried," said Dr. Dhanant. "Secure connections, particularly of public online services, is CAT's priority," he assured listeners, concluding by saying, "We are determined to create online platforms and digitise the country in ways that not only complement Thailand 4.0 but which everyone can trust."
More information: www.catdatacom.com