Thailand’s US$2.6 billion ‘Smart Thailand’ strategy is an example of government commitment to building competitive digital economies
Bangkok, May 31, 2012 – Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), a leading global innovator in the field of networking and communications technology said by the end of the decade Asia will need to invest USD 1.1 trillion in its telecom infrastructure to compete in the digital economy. Alcatel-Lucent delivered the message at the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012 in Bangkok.
Over the past five years, Asia has added 1.5 billion additional mobile subscribers. Yet still more than 25 percent of Asians live without basic mobile services. Over the next five years governments and business will need to add another 1.3 billion mobile subscribers to bridge the gap. What’s more, Asia’s networks will need to support growing traffic requirements and increasing population density in urban centres.
Urbanization in most Asian mega-cities is increasing at an unprecedented speed — manifested by the largest mass migration in human history, which in turn is straining infrastructure, social services, schools, and the environment. National Broadband initiatives are required to support urban growth and connect rural locations to the global economy. Asia Pacific is home to 12 national broadband projects. They aim to make affordable high-speed broadband and wireless services universally accessible for people. Broadband connects people to the digital economy and makes things like banking, healthcare, education and commerce available.
The extent of national broadband projects varies. While Singapore and Malaysia are already providing world-class telecom services, a huge infrastructure gap exists between them and nations like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. In Myanmar, for example, only 1.3% of the population currently subscribes to mobile voice services, compared to the neighbouring nations Laos (80%), Thailand (111%), and Malaysia (127%).
“Initiatives that combine socially relevant applications, network infrastructure, and affordable business models will provide 36% more GDP growth than a network only approach. To bridge the infrastructure gaps in Asia, smarter planning and cross sector collaboration are needed,” Mr. Rajeev Singh-Molares, President of the Asia-Pacific Region for Alcatel-Lucent and Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Information Communications Technology said.
According to Mr. Singh-Molares, “Building a strong digital infrastructure is an imperative for nations that want to compete in the digital economy. Thailand is a good example of a country with a broad approach.”
The Thai government has a US$2.6 billion ‘Smart Thailand’ strategy. The strategy combines a network build with a push to convert all 800 or so government services onto digital platforms, make its cities and provinces smarter, and put tablets in the hands of all its students. The network build is ambitious. It aims to change the number of Thais connected to a network from 33 percent today to 95 percent by 2020.
Alcatel-Lucent believes initiatives like Thailand’s are important to bridging the infrastructure gap that divides developed and developing nations in Asia. They are also important for ensuring more people – from rich to poor– gain access to the opportunities a digital economy provides.
About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU)
The long-trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments around the world, Alcatel-Lucent is a leading innovator in the field of networking and communications technology, products and services. The company is home to Bell Labs, one of the world’s foremost research centers, responsible for breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry. Alcatel-Lucent was named one of MIT Technology Review’s 2012 Top 50 list of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies” for breakthroughs such as lightRadio™, which cuts power consumption and operating costs on wireless networks while delivering lightning fast Internet access. Through such innovations, Alcatel-Lucent is making communications more sustainable, more affordable and more accessible as we pursue our mission – Realizing the Potential of a Connected World.
With operations in more than 130 countries and one of the most experienced global services organizations in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The Company achieved revenues of Euro 15.3 billion in 2011 and is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.
For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent blog: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow the Company on Twitter: 
http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.
Contact the Alcatel-Lucent Press Office:press@alcatel-lucent.com
PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date