Digital Divide Institute

Thailand

The 2011 election of Yingluck Shinawatra,  a former AIS mobile exec will surely push the “reset button” on broadband deployment in Thailand – and DDI will help her.  DDI’s work in Thailand began simply in 2007 when the Chairman of Chulalongkorn University organized seminars that link the King’s Sufficiency Economy concept to the nation’s deployment of broadband. The key question: Could Thailand’s Buddhist values guide the country’s ongoing embrace of broadband technologies? This question opened a Thai pathway into Meaningful Broadband, a concept that was first introduced by DDI in Indonesia. Soon that term was on the lips of leaders from every sector of Thai society. A Meaningful Broadband Working Group at the university was formed, combining “heavy hitters”: the chairman of the telecom regulatory agency, CEOs of all the telecom operating companies, presidents and deans of several leading universities, besides Chulalongkorn itself. In 2010, Chulalongkorn University President Dr. Pirom Kamolratanakul, invited Digital Divide Institute-Asia to be located within the university’s Faculty of Arts. In this page, find the reports, ideas, strategies and plans that drive the Meaningful Broadband agenda in Thailand.

Roadmap for the New Government: In the third part of its continuing series of reports on Meaningful Broadband for the Thai government, Digital Divide Institute is now incorporating the new Prime Minister’s tablet project into a “meaningful broadband roadmap” for Thailand. In parallel with our Meaningful Broadband model in Indonesia, we will give the tablet a starring role among the products and services that will stimulate “meaningful demand” among the mass population. The term refers to efforts to activate use of devices and open-source apps to transmit learning and wealth in the low income population. In examining international best practices, we are looking closely at India’s Shaksat. We are also opening discussions with global multinationals, like Google’s Android Handset Alliance and Taiwan’s manufacturers (HTC, Acer and Asus) to consider how to reduce price points and forge alliances with domestic manufacturers.

Downloads: So far, two major reports guide the development of Meaningful Broadband in Thailand: MBR 1.0 presents the framework. MBR 2.0 explains how the concept can serve the national agenda. A research team, combining professors from four universities, are currently compiling MBR 3.0.

Prof Prasit’s Message: In Aug 30, 2010 keynote speech, the chairman of the National Telecommunications Commission, and a founder of DDI’s Meaningful Broadband Working Group, explained the five-part research agenda of Meaningful Broadband.

Meaningful Broadband in the Thai media: Here are news and opinion articles, and press releases that trace Meaningful Broadband’s evolution in the English-language and Thai language media.