The Deputy Prime Minister, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) have had a meeting to advance the adoption of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile technology in Thailand, in the hope of reducing social disparity and upgrading the country’s infrastructure.
Gen. Prawit chaired the meeting on 5G development. He said the 5G spectrum license auction will lead to major economic changes, as the technology will bring numerous benefits to the general public. The government hopes that the NBTC and the private sector will work together to launch the 5G network promptly.
Gen. Prawit followed up on the NBTC’s work related to 5G technology. The commission takes into account the benefits that the state and the people will receive from structural changes in the country in terms of production, finance, politics, public health and agriculture. The government has a policy to ensure that its benefits will carry through to the people to help reduce social disparity and support an elderly society. The benefits will encompass access to medical services, smart farming, education enhancement, better job opportunities and income and community economic development. They will bring about sustainable development from the community level to the national level. Security and safety aspects of this technology must be considered, as most users are the people, who are the foundation of the Thai economy.
The NBTC Secretary-General, Takorn Tantasith, said today his agency acknowledges the government’s policy and is ready to support and implement it. According to the NBTC’s projections, the adoption of the 5G technology will create an economic value of 177.03 billion baht, or 1.02% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). In 2021, the economic value will increase to 322 billion baht, with more private firms investing in this technology.
