IT companies hope to build on state tablet project

IT companies hope to build on state tablet project

Leading IT companies have urged the new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) minister to apply the One Tablet per Child project to promote Thailand as a tablet manufacturing base exporting to Asean.

They also want Anudith Nakornthap to push for broadband internet prices of 300 baht per month, half the current rate, to increase accessibility and support the local ICT industry at large.
Somkiat Ungaree, the honorary president of the Association of the Thai Software Industry (ATSI), applauded the government's school tablet project because of its benefit to local software development.
The association hopes the planned 800,000 tablets could help the industry create a platform to export to Asean.
He noted that during former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's administration, up to 60% of the country's IT spending came from the government budget, compared to 30% under other governments.
Mr Somkiat added the government's policy to increase the daily minimum wage to 300 baht and monthly salaries of university graduates to 15,000 baht would spur IT investment in companies.
Tatchapol Poshyanonoda, managing director of Cisco Thailand, said the minister should develop broadband network connectivity and Thai-language course materials to serve the tablet project.
He urged the minister to provide 1 Mbps WiFi connectivity to students under the tablet project.
Dr Tatchapol said Thailand could save as much as 100 billion baht if broadband operators consolidated their network investment in optical fibre networks to build a national broadband infrastructure. Another 100 billion baht could be saved if mobile operators share 3G towers.
A study showed that if Thailand could increase broadband penetration by 10%, it would lift GDP by 1%. There are 3 million broadband users, a 5% penetration rate.
Under the four-year national broadband policy, Thailand aims to have penetration of 80%.
Accharas Ouysinprasert, country manager of Intel Microelectronics Thailand, said broadband access charges should stand at 300 baht per month, or 3% of the average monthly salary in the country.