e2001 Your Digital Future - Bangkok Post Special Supplement

TRENDS

The future of the Internet is free access for all

Thailand may have free services soon

Karnjana Karnjanatawe

By the end of this year, we might have a chance to surf the Internet here free of charge.

As Freei Net has been gearing up with its plans to offer free Internet access in early November, so other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) here have gradually reduced their service fees as well as introducing new applications. Each is trying to focus their business on areas other than just offering Internet access.

While there are a total of 17 ISPs, the top six account for more than 80 percent of all the traffic, according to statistics from Nectec's Internet Information Research project in mid-October at <ntl.nectec.or.th/internet/ route/piereport.html>.

Internet Thailand leads in terms of data volume, with 22.9 percent of the total data market share followed by Internet KSC (19 percent), CS Communications (14.4 percent), Loxinfo (9.6 percent), with Anet and Asia Infonet in joint fifth position (sharing the same rate of 7.3 percent).

Internet Thailand <www. inet.co.th> or 642-7065-6.

The company has a 42 Mbps international backbone, 100 Mbps for its domestic link, 32 branch offices nationwide and offers services to both individuals and corporate users.

Services for individuals include a pay-per-use access called Inet-Gold which costs around 17 baht an hour. Inet-Access offers a pre-paid Internet service and the price is an average of 13 baht per hour.

For corporate users, Internet Thailand offers corporate dial-up services via a normal telephone line or ISDN with 128 Kbps link speed. The start-up price is at 1,667 baht a month. Other services include a complete Internet solution for a company, including hosting, with leased lines, frame relay links or even building up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) between branch offices and company headquarters.

The company also provides domestic link service with speeds of 64 Kbps up to 2 Mbps and the start-up price is 30,000 baht. It also offers both international and domestic roaming.

The company also established the Thai.com web site as an online marketplace since the beginning of this year.

Internet KSC <www.ksc.net. th> or 979-7000 or 979-7777.

The company has a 50 Mbps international link, 34 branches and a series of services as follows:

Individual services include KSC Web Surfer kit (399 baht for 15 hours), KSC Web Surfer Refill kit (799 baht for 45 hours), KSC Instant Internet kit (599 baht for 15 hours), a KSC Economy Account (450 baht for 30 hours), a KSC Premium Account (800 baht for 40 hours), and ADSL service (500 baht for a monthly fee, plus a monthly Internet access at 1,600 baht for 70 hours).

For corporate users, KSC Internet offers ten service choices including Corporate Node, ISDN service and co-location service.

The company also hosts the web sites of the Internet Shopping Mall at <www.thaicybermall.com>, an entertainment and the live broadcast site at <www.thaicast.com> and a free video messaging service at <www.freeVDO.th.com>.

CS Internet of Shin Corporation <www.cscoms.com> or 596-5000.

The company is the first and only ISP who offers Internet access locally in all 76 provinces, with 30 Mbps of international bandwidth and 18 Mbps for its domestic link.

For individuals, CS Internet offers Internet kits including Bangkok Life with 20 hours for 210 baht, Bangkok Life Plus with 110 hours at 1,100 baht, Starter Kit with usage hours ranging from 18 to 79 hours at a starting price of 259 to 962 baht. Other packages include New Kits for sharing among friends and family with 13 to 39 hours of usage at 179 to 479 baht, and Ready Kit with time zone access at 480 baht.

For corporate users, the company offers SmartNet with multiple accesses sharing the same usage hours with 60 to 720 hours at 1,000 to 9,000 baht a month.

Also available is a High Speed Node via a leased line connection of 28.8 Kbps up to 512 Kbps with the price starting at 27,000 baht and going up to 378,000 baht. Turbo Internet offers a high-speed Internet access via Thaicom satellites. The speeds are four to eight times faster than an Internet connection through a 33.6 Kbps modem.

The choices with the Internet Turbo service are 50 hours to 720 hours per month with the fees starting at 3,000 baht to 20,000 baht, plus 16,000 baht for an equipment fee which includes a Turbo Card, a smart card and a satellite dish.

The last is Thaicom Direct Internet, offering two-way Internet access via satellite. The quality of service is equivalent to 64 Kbps Internet access.

The application fee is 10,000 baht. Also required is an equipment setup fee of 20,000 baht, a deposit of 20,000 baht and a monthly charge of 30,000 baht.

Loxinfo of PointAsia Group <www.loxinfo.co.th> or 656-0234 or 263-8000.

The international bandwidth is at 22 MB with 8 Mbps for domestic link. Branches are located in 34 provinces and it also has a solution for setting up Internet cafes under the brand name i-Kool.

For individuals, Loxinfo offers the 20-hour WebKiT for 560 baht which users can refill with a 20-hour Web 1 kit for 440 baht, a 40-hour Web Kit 2 for 720 baht and a Web 3 series with up to 250 hours for 6,000 baht.

Also offered are temporary accounts: WebNet with choice of 25 hours for 500 baht and 45 hours for 750 baht, RoyalOrchidNet for Thai AirWays's customers to get Internet access at its lounges, BThai cards offering domestic links for pre-teens aged between eight to 12 years of age. The cards are available in three denominations, offering 10 hours for 120 baht, 20 hours for 200 Baht, or 40 hours for 320 baht.

For corporate users, services include WebPro for small- and medium-sized companies to have Internet access and a domain name. The service charge is 1,800 baht for 75 hours and a membership and maintenance fee of 12,000 baht annually.

WebSharing is an Internet access solution for medium to small enterprises to have a domain name and multiple simultaneous Internet accesses. The usage time lasts for two years and it has two options of 1,500 hours for 32,000 baht and 3,000 hours for 56,000 baht, plus a yearly maintenance fee of 12,000 baht.

WebCafe offers a prepaid service for multiple users with access via an Internet account and one telephone line. The service fees include 300 hours for 4,650 baht, 1,500 hours for 21,000 baht and 3,000 hours for 39,000 baht. The Internet usage time is valid for one year.

ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network), which was developed for the existing telephone network, can connect a company to the Internet at speeds of 64 Kbps to 128 Kbps. Loxinfo provides options of Individual ISDN connected via a standalone PC and also LAN ISDN. The service charges are 5,100 and 10,000 baht for 75 and 150 hours with a 128 Kbps connection respectively. The LAN ISDN also has a yearly maintenance fee of 12,000 baht.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) connection, a high-speed Internet link which uses ADSL modem-based technology, allows users to answer the phone while surfing the Internet at the speed of 64 Kbps to 128 Kbps. Currently, the service is limited to Bangkok users. The service fees vary according to usage hours, ranging from 70 to 400 hours for 2,040 to 14,400 baht.

There are also leased-line services offering 64 Kbps to 2 Mbps connections with various types of service charges depending on corporate customers' requirements.

A-Net Internet of Anew Corporation <www.a-net.net.th> or 861-1533 or 861-1555.

Speed of international bandwidth is 14 Mb and it has 30 branch offices outside Bangkok. The company also aims to be a solution provider for e-brokerages while providing an e-commerce portal site at TodayInThailand <www.today.in.th>.

The company has tried to differentiate itself by offering services to specific markets. Recently, it launched a "Women on the Web" package with 60 hours access for 890 baht, plus a "lady night" promotion for free Internet access on Wednesday nights.

For individuals, it offers a series of services as follows: Anet Direct is an Instant access service offering choices of 25 hours for 900 baht, 50 hours for 1,700 baht and 100 hours for 3,200 baht.

Anet Card for web surfers offers options of 25 hours for 600 baht, 50 hours for 1,150 baht and 100 hours for 2,200 baht.

Anet Time Zone provides 30 hours for 900 baht for heavy users to manage their Internet time during special offers in each time zone period.

Services for corporate customers include corporate leased lines providing a 64 Kbps to 2048 Kbps access, a corporate dial-in service for linking a LAN to the Internet via a dedicated telephone line.

Asia InfoNet of Telecom Asia <www.asianet.co.th> or 641-1800.

Speed of international bandwidth is at 6 Mbps and 512 Kbps for domestic link. It has local nodes in Chachoengsao, Phuket and Udon Thani.

The company just ended its ClickTA promotion, while it just introduced a high-speed cable modem service at the beginning of October. However, the service is limited to areas in Bangkok including Sukhumvit, Chaiyapruek and Phloen Chit.

The cable modem offers Internet connections at a downstream 256 Kbps, and 64 Kbps upstream. Installation payment is 10,600 baht for UBC Cable TV subscribers or otherwise 11,500 baht. The fee includes equipment and deposit charges. The monthly charge per month depends on the volume of usage. It starts at 1,500 baht for 200 MB and increases to 5,000 baht for 1,000 MB. The ClickTA promotion campaign just ended, getting more subscribers than expected.

Currently, there is only a monthly service for individuals.

For those who want to look further afield and explore some of the offerings of the other 12 ISPs, information can be found on the Web (or by telephone) as follows:

Asia Access Internet Service <www.asiaaccess.net.th> or 617-0911; Chomanan WorldNet of Chomanan Group <www.cwn.net.th> or 943-1222; Data Line Thai of Datamat Public Company <www.linethai.net.th> or 310-5335; EZNet, Internet access for students and educational institutions, <www.princess1.net> or 267-7604 or 267-7608; Far East Internet of Inter Far East Engineering <www.fareast.net.th> or 718-8135; Ji-Net of Jasmine Group <www.ji-net.com> or 502-3730-2; Roynet <www.roynet.co.th> or 652-8600-4; Samart Infonet of Samart Corp <www.samart.co.th> or 502-6000; Siam Global Access <www.sga.net.th> or 955-0281-8; The Idea Net <www.idn.co.th> or 685-5600; and finally, the WorldNet and Service of the Ucom Group <www.wnet.net.th> or 618-8888.