Thailand’s government plans to support 5G network infrastructure and related technology’s development, aiming to boost the country’s economy and society after two devastating years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, five core sectors will drive 5G technology and infrastructure: smart city, farming, healthcare, services, and tourism.
During Friday’s Bangkok Post Conference 2021, the virtual seminar titled “Shaping Tomorrow: Power of 5G and Technology Convergence,” the minister spoke on the government’s progress in developing 5G infrastructure.
Mr. Chaiwut thanked 5G network providers and mobile operators for their efforts in helping Thailand adopt 5G platforms and solutions in various sectors after the government completed 5G spectrum licenses’ auctions in February last year.
The 5G technology will be critical to boosting competitiveness, allowing the country to regain its economy in the future, he added.
Mr. Chaiwut explained that the government also aimed to promote equality through various projects that hope to increase people’s opportunities to access better services.
Moreover, he gave several examples on the 5G technology’s use in various sectors, including healthcare at Siriraj Hospital as a key model, smart tourism in the tourist destination Phuket and digital farming through Songkhla basin research in the south.
The healthcare industry has become a priority sector for the 5G development since Thailand expects to become the number one medical hub in Asia, leveraging its capacity and medical services’ good reputation among foreign customers.
Through a 5G platform, hospitals could offer telemedicine services through a reliable high-bandwidth network with low latency, reducing direct personal contact to improve workers’ and patients’ safety.
Mr. Chaiwut also stated that smart farming would provide farmers with accurate information and technical tools to make better decisions and reduce production costs.
Regarding the smart city, the minister said that authorities expected to promote pilot development projects in the country’s main areas to transform them into smart cities.
Focusing on such development, the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) has already deployed a 5G smart pole system equipped with a pollution detector for PM 2.5 and toxins levels in the air, surveillance camera, and SOS button.
Moreover, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) has introduced a “Smart City Accelerator Program” to improve potential start-ups, as well as develop solutions to support and promote smart cities and their sustainability, Mr. Chaiwut stated.
A July Global Mobile Providers Association (GSA) report said 5G subscriptions are expected to reach 580 million by late 2021 and rise to 3.5 billion five years later.
