The next generation of wireless technology, known as 5G, will enable Thai voters to directly exercise their democratic rights through the use of electronic voting systems (iVote), but such a shift will depend on the readiness of all players within the political system, a seminar was told on Monday.
Political and media experts and academics gathered at the seminar jointly organised by the Bangkok Post Group and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) Monday, to discuss the contribution of 5G technology to the Thai political landscape.
The seminar, called "5G: Shaping Thailand's Economic and Political Landscape", was aimed at educating the public about how the development of 5G will help shape a new political environment, through improved voting processes and digitised political campaigns via social media and virtual reality.
The latest thing in mobile internet connectivity, 5G offers faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before, which the NBTC say will be available in Thailand by 2020.
The panelists urged the government to incorporate 5G technology in future elections, even though it still cannot be used in next year's general election.
One of the panelists, Sawang Boonmee, the Election Commission's deputy secretary-general, said he believes that 5G technology will improve the Thai political landscape because voters will be able to access huge amounts of data, allowing for more informed decisions.
Mr Sawang said that while 5G networks offer faster connection speeds that make it useful for vote counting, their use is not sanctioned under current Thai law, before adding that paper ballots are easier to trace than iVote.
To prepare Thailand for direct democracy, the founder and former president of the Thai E-Commerce Association, Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, said a better understanding of technology among civil servants and the general public is needed to put new technology to good use.
"The question is whether the EC will jump in or not. There are many individuals who are able and willing to help the EC with the transition," he said, adding that the EC can carry out trial runs for the sake of transparency.
A panel at the seminar '5G: Shaping Thailand's Economic and Political Landscape'. From left: veteran journalist Suthichai Yoon (moderator); Predee Daochai, chairman of the Thai Bankers' Association and president of Kasikornbank; Somkiat Tangkitvanich, president of the Thailand Development Research Institute; Sawang Boonmee, the Election Commission's deputy secretary-general; Pirongrong Ramasoota, vice-president of Chulalongkorn University; and Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, founder and CEO of Tarad.com.
President of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), Somkiat Tangkitvanich, said 5G may not benefit society because 4G has yet to be fully embraced in Thailand.
However, Mr Somkiat said that there is no denying that 5G will change the face of politics because the faster speeds will facilitate the development of new voting mechanisms, and help Thailand make the transition to a digital economy.
He added that the government needs to be more transparent about information and allow free access to data, as an "open data" approach will help ensure free and fair elections in the future.
Mr Somkiat urged the government to promote free and fair competition in the 5G market once it is available in Thailand, as enormous profits can be reaped from investing in the technology.
He also called on the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to set up a new NBTC board before bidding on 5G can begin, as dissolving an interim committee after the election could prove to be a challenge. A new committee needs to be set up and given time to prepare before new operators -- both local and foreign -- step into the market, said Mr Somkiat.
"Rolling out 5G with the same operators and regulators will not benefit the public," he said.
However, Chulalongkorn University's vice-president for social outreach and global engagement Pirongrong Ramasoota said that the implementation of direct democracy depends more on a fully digitised national identity card, not 5G.
"Electronic voting cannot happen if we cannot prove our identities with an ID card, even if we have 5G," she said.
Ms Pirongrong said that iVote will attract a younger generation of voters, but privacy concerns will need to be addressed.
"The transparency and reliability of the system will need to be secured to ensure the privacy of voters, and prevent electoral fraud," she said.
Economically, Ms Pirongrong said 5G may serve as a catalyst that may either lessen or increase the digital divide.
However, she added, players within the telecommunications industry, especially mobile telephone network operators, can certainly expect profit increases. Citing a Qualcomm Research statistic, she said the global telecommunications sector is set to reap benefits of up to US$3.4 trillion (111.9 trillion baht) after the introduction of 5G.
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