Lao Telecom Officially Launches 5G System
Source: Vientiane Times
Lao Telecommunications Public Company (Lao Telecom) has officially launched the 5G system, which is the first network in Laos.
The official launch of 5G was held yesterday in Vientiane and attended by Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Dr Thansamay Kommasith, General Director of Lao Telecom Mr Souphon Chanthavixay, and senior officials from line ministries and the company.
The official launch of the 5G network is to implement the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policy as well as the strategic work of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to modernise services and enable the integration of the region with the international area, especially the Digital Economy Era 4.0.
In the current era, the use of telecommunications tools and services have become an important factor in the lives of many people, especially in Laos. Many countries around the world are now experimenting with 5G technology to serve the society such as e-commerce, artificial intelligence or AI, Internet of Things (IOT), robotics in the field of industry, agriculture, and medicine.
All of which is to create favourable conditions for society or consumers to follow a lifestyle which is convenient, fast and has high security, according to a press release from the company. Prior to this, Lao Telecom launched the first test of the 5G system in October last year to prepare for the official launch of the service.
For the event, a number of demonstrations were prepared by the team to show the potential of modern 5G and the speed of data transmission.
For the initial 5G service area, Lao Telecom will first provide services in some areas of Vientiane, such as in community areas of the city centre like Sihom village, night street market at Mekong River, Sailom village, and National University of Laos (Dongdok Campus). The second phase will then be extended to major provinces in the country. 5G technology is smarter, faster and more efficient than 4G and responds to the demands of users better.
As the first integrated telecommunications provider in Laos since 1996, the company has offered wireline and wireless services to 3.5 million people across the country. In 2011, the company officially launched 4G services. It was the first company to provide such services, making Laos the second country in Southeast Asia and the Asean to do so, after Singapore.
To affirm its telecommunications leadership in the country, the company began operating 4.5G services in Vientiane, at the beginning of 2017 and then expanded services to the provinces and covered many areas of Laos.
